{"id":326409,"date":"2025-08-07T23:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T23:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/326409\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T23:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T23:22:10","slug":"suspected-people-smuggler-followed-by-bbc-documentary-detained-in-birmingham-news-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/326409\/","title":{"rendered":"Suspected people smuggler followed by BBC documentary detained in Birmingham | News UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A young Iranian man has been arrested for allegedly smuggling asylum seekers to the UK in small boats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) said they earlier detained the 22-year-old at an address in Acocks Green in Birmingham on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.<\/p>\n

Footage shows a topless man \u2013 wearing just jogging shorts \u2013 in handcuffs and being read his rights by NCA officers before being taken to custody.<\/p>\n

NCA Regional head of investigations Jacque Beer said this follows a BBC investigation, adding: \u2018This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into organised immigration crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018People smugglers operate for profit without concern for the safety of those they transport, which is why dismantling and disrupting the networks is a priority for the NCA.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Our investigation continues with the evidence we have gathered today.\u2019<\/p>\n

The NCA currently has 91 ongoing investigations into networks or people in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking as the government aims to \u2018smash\u2019 people-smuggling gangs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The arrest comes as crossings across the English Channel passed 25,000 at the end of July \u2013 faster than any year since the records began in 2018.<\/p>\n

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The latest\u00a0Home Office\u00a0figures show an increase of 51% compared with the point last year (16,842) and 73% higher than that of 2023 (14,732).<\/p>\n

Last year, the 25,000 mark was passed on September 22, and in 2023 it was October 2.<\/p>\n

Sir Keir Starmer announced the highly-controversial\u00a0\u2018one in, one out\u2019 returns deal\u00a0with France, which will see the UK sending asylum seekers back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain. <\/p>\n

The pilot came into force this week, with the first people \u2013 who crossed the dangerous waters between the two nations on flimsy inflatables, risking their lives \u2013 falling victim to it yesterday.<\/p>\n

The group of people who arrived in\u00a0Kent<\/a>\u00a0are now being held in immigration removal centres to await their removal.<\/p>\n

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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