Man suspected of supplying small boats to people smugglers arrested

Earlier this month Sir Keir announced an extra £75m to police the UK’s borders, vowing to “treat people smugglers like terrorists”.

He said Thursday’s arrest was “an important step”, but that other measures would also be necessary to reduce crossings.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the case demonstrated how important it was for UK agencies to work alongside international partners.

“The excellent work of the UK’s National Crime Agency has been critical to this. We will stop at nothing to root out criminal networks wherever we find them,” she said.

The NCA is leading some 70 investigations into networks or individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking, the organisation said.

The arrest comes nearly a week after a man known as the “best smuggler”, who advertised small boat Channel crossings on Facebook, was jailed for 17 years.

Amanj Hasan Zada, a 34-year-old Iranian national living in Lancashire, ran “a sophisticated enterprise” which “for him it was all about profit”, the NCA said.

More than 50 people have died trying to cross the English Channel in 2024.

Over 32,000 people have made the crossing in 2024 so far – more than the total figure of 29,437 for 2023.