Raids on people-smuggling ring
9:18am Tuesday 11th October 2005 in News By Local London Reporter
NINETEEN people have been arrested as part of a crackdown on an alleged Europe-wide people smuggling racket.
Met officers raided premises in London while police also arrested a man in Lincolnshire.
Homes amd businesses in Enfield, Hackney, Bexleyheath and Hammersmith were targeted.
The raids follow a two year investigation into a people smuggling racket which is thought to have helped bring thousands of illegal immigrants from Turkey into the UK.
Operation Bluesky involved police from all over Europe.
Illegal immigrants pay gangs thousands of pounds to be smuggled into the UK.
Most are brought through border controls hidden in vans, lorries and cars.
Met Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said his force had, "dismantled a huge organised criminal network in human smuggling".
Detective Chief Superintendent Bill Skelly, said: "Today's arrests were the result of a co-ordinated response involving numerous parts of the Metropolitan Police Service.
"The Metropolitan Police Service continues to enhance its efforts against those seeking to make profit from the illegal movement of people into the United Kingdom."
