UK teams up with Bulgaria seizing hundreds of boats and engines destined for channel migrants

Over the past 12 months, officers from the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) have worked in Bulgaria, alongside colleagues from the Home Office and the Foreign Office.

The teams have been sharing intelligence and mounting joint operations with colleagues from the Bulgarian National Customs Agency and Bulgarian Border Police.

The operations, targeting the people smuggling supply chain, have led to dozens of separate seizures of maritime equipment intended for use in the English Channel.

The equipment seized includes 125 inflatable boats, 128 outboard engines, more than 700 pumps, and 300 rubber rings.

The National Crime Agency has assessed the seizures will have denied the crime networks around £16.6million in profit, which they would have made from crossings using that equipment.

Earlier this month, a taskforce of officers from the NCA, Border Force, HMRC and Home Office International Operations travelled out to the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing for a joint operation with Bulgarian partners.

The teams carried out specialist training exercises and launched multiple searches, targeting vehicles and freight, using dogs and specialist equipment.

The day after the conclusion of the exercises, another 10 Chinese-made outboard engines were seized.

The engines were found during a detailed search of a vehicle driven by a Bulgarian national.

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He told customs that he was transporting furniture for personal use.

The engines were found hidden among the load he was carrying, and the driver was issued with a fine.

Located on Bulgaria's southern border with Turkey, the Kapitan Andreevo crossing is one of the busiest land borders in Europe, and is a main route used by organised crime groups.

The National Crime Agency's Director of Intelligence, Adrian Matthews said: “Bulgaria is a key location on the supply route for the criminal people smuggling networks involved in organising dangerous Channel boat crossings.

“Taking this equipment out before it can reach them not only disrupts their activities and hits their profits, but it also prevents these lethal boats and under-powered engines being used at sea where lives are at risk.

“As close partners and allies, the UK and Bulgaria work together to tackle organised crime and illegal migration, strengthening the border security of both countries."

The UK's Border Security Minister, Angela Eagle said the seizures showed how working in partnership with other countries could help dismantle people smuggling operations.

"This work shows what can be achieved through international cooperation to go after the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings" she said.

"Our Border Security Command will turbocharge these efforts, with investigators stationed throughout Europe and additional resources to support operations like these.

“We will not stand by while criminals prey on vulnerable people, including women and children."

Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the previous government's Rwanda deterrent scheme on his first day in office, and said "smashing the gangs" was Labour's priority to end the small boats crisis.

Earlier this month, the Government announced an additional £75m for the Border Security Command, to help with the introduction of new technologies and expand its international presence.