Fears people traffickers are now using large fishing boats to smuggle migrants into UK as 69 Albanian immigrants are intercepted in vessel in North Sea

  • Border Force intercepted a fishing trawler off the Suffolk coast on Wednesday
  • They found 69 Albanian men and women hiding in the 100-ft boat's fish hold
  • Authorities worried smugglers are looking for new routes to avoid UK government's channel blockade
  • UK has seen a record 8,500 migrants crossing the Channel already this year 

By William Cole For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Concern is growing that after the clamp-down on migrants crossing the Channel people smugglers are now using large fishing boats as a cover to bring asylum seekers into Britain across the North Sea.

Authorities are worried that as the Channel blockade proves more effective, the smugglers in human traffic will seek other routes across targeting the hundreds of miles of deserted shoreline in East Anglia.

It follows the detention yesterday of a 100-ft fishing boat off the Suffolk coast after it had been tracked on the 100-mile journey from the Belgian port of Ostend.

The Border Force launched two cutters and Customs and the National Crime Agency were waiting as the boat arrived and detained it as it headed south. It was escorted into Harwich harbour and the men on board taken off into custody.

Concern is growing that after the clamp-down on migrants crossing the Channel people smugglers are now using large boats as a cover after one fishing boat was caught carrying 69 Albanian migrants into the UK

Concern is growing that after the clamp-down on migrants crossing the Channel people smugglers are now using large boats as a cover after one fishing boat was caught carrying 69 Albanian migrants into the UK

Sixty nine of them are believed to be Albanians and the crew was made up of two Ukranians and a Latvian.

The three crew were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and are now being interviewed by NCA investigators while the 69 have been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Immigration Act and will be dealt with by Immigration Enforcement officers.

A full search of the vessel - named 'Syanic' - is this morning still ongoing.

Craig Naylor, the NCSA's deputy director of investigations: 'This was clearly a significant incident and a significant attempt to breach the UK's border controls.

The Border Force launched two cutters and Customs and the National Crime Agency were waiting as the boat arrived and detained it as it headed south. It was escorted into Harwich harbour and the men on board taken off into custody

The Border Force launched two cutters and Customs and the National Crime Agency were waiting as the boat arrived and detained it as it headed south. It was escorted into Harwich harbour and the men on board taken off into custody

'Our investigation into this attempt continues, and I would like to thank Essex Police, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement for all they did and their ongoing work in support of our investigation.

'We are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling networks, and prevent them from exploiting migrants for profit.

'Our aim is to target those who cause harm, safeguard those who are most vulnerable while securing the United Kingdom's borders.'

The arrests will be a welcome piece of good news for Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is under pressure to secure a new deal with France to tackle migrant crossings in small boats. 

The arrests will be a welcome piece of good news for Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is under pressure to secure a new deal with France to tackle migrant crossings in small boats

The arrests will be a welcome piece of good news for Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is under pressure to secure a new deal with France to tackle migrant crossings in small boats

Ms Patel said: 'I’ve been clear that I’ll use every arm of the law to break up the ruthless gangs who facilitate this criminal activity.

'Yesterday’s operation was a big win for our intelligence and law enforcement agencies who have halted a serious illegal enterprise and cut off a source of funding for an organised criminal gang.

'We are unapologetically returning migrants who have no right to stay in the UK to safe countries with flights every week and will do whatever we can to make this route unviable.

'My thanks go to all our operational partners for their role in the important criminal investigation.'

The UK has seen a record 8,500 migrants crossing the Channel this year, seven times the number from the previous year.

The UK has seen a record 8,500 migrants crossing the Channel this year, seven times the number from the previous year

The UK has seen a record 8,500 migrants crossing the Channel this year, seven times the number from the previous year

The Government must legally house them even though the majority later see their asylum claims rejected.

Home Office figures show 60,000 asylum seekers and failed claimants received furnished accommodation with bill and council tax paid this year, treble the number from 2011-12. 

Nearly 10,000 people are now being put up in 100 hotels across the UK, a nine-fold surge from the 1,200 in March.

The Home Office is considering opening offshore transit centres including decommissioned ferries to house Channel migrants.

They could get 'hotel-style' room service on two earmarked ships at a cost of £140 per night, according to The Sun.

One possible vessel is an Estonian passenger cruise ship, the Silja Europe, which officials believe could house around 1,400 migrants.

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