Two men have been arrested by the National Crime Agency after a yacht carrying suspected illegal migrants was intercepted in the English Channel.
The boat, which had travelled from northern France, was picked up off the coast of the Isle of Wight and escorted into Gosport Marina in Hampshire by a Border Force cutter on the afternoon of Sunday 20 July, as part of the NCA-led operation.
The crew of the vessel, Ukrainian nationals aged 43 and 37, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration.
Five passengers, four Albanian nationals and a Vietnamese national, were arrested for immigration offences.
All seven are now being questioned by NCA investigators.
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Julian Harriman said:
“This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale, which has been supported by Border Force. Those arrested remain in custody.
“Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved.”
21 July 2025
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