UK law enforcement officers have arrested six people wanted in Belgium over their suspected involvement in a people-trafficking ring, the National Crime Agency said on Thursday.
NCA officers detained the men, all Afghan nationals, on Wednesday in Leicester, Birmingham and Coventry, all in central England, and Essex in south east England.
The detentions come as part of coordinated action in Belgium and Italy launched after Belgian courts issued a warrant for their arrests.
Belgian prosecutors allege that the group, active since 2022, helped organise the transport of migrants from Afghanistan through Iran, Turkey and the Balkans into western Europe, mainly France and Belgium.
The gang is also accused of helping migrants who had their asylum claims rejected in Belgium to travel to the UK on small boats.
Three of the men appeared at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where extradition proceedings began, and the remaining three suspects are due to appear later on Thursday.
“These men were allegedly part of a dangerous and harmful criminal network which moved migrants across the world, through Europe and eventually into northern Europe and the UK,” said NCA Deputy Director Craig Turner.
“The threat posed by organised immigration crime is chronic and enduring, and we currently have 70 live investigations into the gangs involved in it,” he added.
In December, the NCA arrested three men in the UK for similar offences, as part of separate investigation.
The three are now awaiting extradition to Belgium, where a court has sentenced 20 members of their gang to a total of 170 years imprisonment.
