They charged migrants between €2,500-€3,500 each, regularly changed tactics to avoid detection, used larger boats and launched up to 15 at a time, of which around half reached the UK. Police believe crossings, which are taking place at twice the rate of last year, will decrease in the “immediate future” as a result of Tuesday’s raids. The Home Secretary said: “These arrests send a clear message to the criminal gangs preying on vulnerable people across Europe and beyond: we will stop at nothing to end your vile trade, bring you to justice and to save lives. “These callous individuals treat human lives as a commodity and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure they feel the full force of our new, tougher laws designed to break their business model and punish them appropriately for their heinous crimes.” One of the alleged gang leaders was arrested in London in May. Hewa Rahimpur, 29, who lived in Ilford, east London, is suspected of sourcing boats from Turkey before delivering them to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. He is wanted by Belgian authorities and faces extradition from the UK.
