Boats capable of smuggling 2,000 people seized at Suffolk port

Boats capable of smuggling 2,000 people seized at Suffolk port as UK authorities disrupt an alleged people-smuggling equipment shipment. The National Crime Agency (NCA), working with specialist Border Force search teams and in cooperation with the Port of Felixstowe, intercepted a consignment on Saturday, July 18. Investigators seized 25 boats and 25 engines suspected for use by people smugglers; each ten-metre rubber boat could carry around 80 people, leading authorities to estimate the batch could be used to send about 2,000 people across the English Channel in dangerous conditions. The container shipment arrived from China aboard a vessel bound for Germany, where officers believe the cargo would be offloaded, potentially for gangs operating in northern Europe. The NCA said there is no indication the ship’s crew or operators were aware. The investigation continues with international partners, and the agency has reported that since targeting equipment supply chains in early 2023, it and partners have intercepted more than 1,500 boats and engines.