Four people have been arrested in Germany as part of a coordinated international operation targeting a network supplying equipment for small boat crossings to the UK, according to the National Crime Agency.
The arrests took place during raids across North Rhine-Westphalia, where more than 450 officers searched 12 locations, including warehouses and residential properties. Boats, engines, fuel containers and life jackets were seized, alongside other equipment used to assemble so-called “go kits” for Channel crossings.
The operation followed a joint investigation led by the NCA and Belgian Federal Police, with support from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Europol and Eurojust. Authorities said the network sourced components, including inflatable boats and engines, combining them into packages worth more than €10,000, which were then transported towards the French coast for use in migrant crossings.
Investigators believe the group’s activities could have enabled the movement of around 1,000 people across the Channel. Previous enforcement action between April and December 2025 saw multiple interceptions of vehicles carrying the equipment, leading to 17 arrests across several countries.
“We believe this operation has successfully disrupted and dismantled a significant organised crime group supplying equipment to people smugglers operating in the Channel,” said NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Craig Turner. “These vessels are completely unsuitable for what they are being used for.”
The four individuals arrested, all Syrian nationals, are suspected of playing key roles in the network and are expected to face extradition to Belgium, where they could be prosecuted for people smuggling offences. The NCA said tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority, with more than 100 live investigations currently underway.
