Alleged people smuggling gang member ‘made millions while on Universal Credit'
Based between West Yorkshire and Greater London, the alleged scheme is said to have developed into a wide-scale, dangerous criminal network earning millions.
The main suspect is believed to have a turnover of more than £1.3 million in his bank account, despite claiming to only earn £35,000 a year working for a furniture manufacturing company.
Another suspect is thought to have made an alleged turnover of more than £1 million across two bank accounts, whilst simultaneously receiving Universal Credit.
Immigration enforcement officers carried out raids in Greater London and Batley, West Yorkshire and arrested seven suspects between the ages of 30 and 50 years old on Tuesday.
Of the seven arrested, four men and two women have been charged in connection with the investigation and have been remanded in custody.
Footage released by the Home Office showed one of the suspects being led away from a property by police.
The gang is said to have targeted Gambian nationals, including booking their flights, providing housing for the migrants on arrival, and setting them up with illegal work.
Operating across the country, they allegedly charged around £5,000 per person for the full service.
The five men and three women are believed to have sent fake documents to beneficiaries to evade detection from police.
At the various addresses visited, officers seized several counterfeit identity documents, which are thought to have been used in this alleged criminal scheme.
Members of the gang are also suspected of reusing fraudulent documents for different imposters hoping to make it to the UK illegally.
An ongoing investigation revealed a substantial quantity of images of passports found on the main suspect's mobile phone.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum Dame Angela Eagle said: 'This operation is a clear display that we will not stand by and let evil criminal gangs abuse our immigration system.
'This suspected gang promised their beneficiaries a better life here in the UK. Instead, they face heinous levels of exploitation, which is exactly why we are working with law enforcement to ensure survivors of modern slavery are supported and the criminal gangs face justice.'
Ben Ryan, chief operating officer at Medaille Trust – a charity that supports the victims of modern slavery and worked on the investigation – said: 'Medaille Trust is delighted to have collaborated on this operation and to have played a part in ensuring that victims were identified and supported to begin their recovery as survivors.
'We believe that collaborative efforts like this between the Home Office and civil society provide a model for confronting the evils of modern slavery; with a focus on both pursuing abusers and recognising and supporting survivors.'
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Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage's migrant hotel demand slammed by husband of MP murdered by far right
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"It's not OK to take that anger out on the people subjected to these appalling policies, it's not OK to take that anger out on our communities that want to live peacefully with refugees in them. "For leading politicians to create the policies that brought us here, and then misdirect that anger on refugee families is an outrage." She warned that people who fled hostility in their homelands would be forced to move on because "an angry mob has been given its way". Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The Mirror: "Politicians of all parties should take care to talk about these issues responsibly. We've seen how protests outside hotels terrify people who've already fled war in places like Sudan and Afghanistan, some even feared for their lives when a hotel was attacked and set on fire last summer. "Most people in Britain are fair-minded and compassionate, but their concerns are being exploited by far-right groups with their own agendas. "The real problem is a broken asylum system that leaves people stuck in hotels at huge public cost. What we need is faster, fairer decisions and safe housing in communities, so refugees can work, study and rebuild their lives." Mr Solomon continued: "We urge all political leaders to reject toxic narratives and speak with the compassion, responsibility and integrity the public deserves.' Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer told The Mirror: ' Nigel Farage 's role in whipping up unrest around asylum hotels is absolutely shameful. He is a millionaire preying on people's anger, fear and desperation to divide communities, stoke tensions and put people's safety at risk." She accused the Reform leader of "creating a terrifying environment of hostility" and said politicians have a "moral duty" to stand up to him It came after Mr Farage wrote in The Telegraph: "Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain." And he added: "Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win." Home Office minister Mr Jarvis said: "I think the important point to make is that nobody really thinks that hotels are a sustainable location to accommodate asylum seekers. That's precisely why the Government has made a commitment that, by the end of this Parliament, we would have phased out the use of them." Under Boris Johnson the use of hotels for asylum seekers started to grow. At the time the Tories insisted it was temporary, blaming Covid, rising small boat crossings and a backlog of unresolved cases. In March 2020 there were around 1,200 people in hotels. By the summer this had reached 4,400, and it had soared to 9,500 by October that year. In March 2023, when Rishi Sunak was PM, the number was 47,518, peaking at 56,042 in the autumn. Imran Hussain, from the Refugee Council, said: "Nobody thinks asylum seekers should be kept in hotels while their case is being assessed. It's very expensive. It's not good for the asylum seekers. It's isolating. It's an isolating experience I think even before the protests, with the protests it's incredibly terrifying for people. "And of course as we've seen for local communities, there's a lot of tension, some of which is being exploited by people on the far- right. So no one thinks it's a good idea." He said a "failure of public policy" led to the Tories resorting to using asylum hotels as a massive backlog swelled to a peak of 175,000 in 2023. Mr Hussain said: "For 20 odd years that we've supported asylum seekers through, the system worked perfectly well. We had accommodation for people without using hotels. 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ITV News
11 hours ago
- ITV News
Councils consider legal action over asylum hotels after Epping ruling
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STV News
11 hours ago
- STV News
Police watchdog urges use of seized crime cash to fund fight against gangs
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From this, £98.1m of Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme money was distributed to Proceeds of Crime Act reporting agencies – including police forces, to fund local crime fighting priorities. In his 2024–2025 annual report, Mr Naylor said policing reform had clearly strengthened Scotland's ability to tackle organised crime compared to before the creation of a single national force. He said: 'These events are often contained within a limited geographical area, but on this occasion have stretched across the east and west regions of the country.' He added: 'These attacks also remind us of the transnational nature and risk posed by organised crime groups and the need for police and law enforcement agencies to work globally to target those involved in directing such activities.' Mr Naylor said that over the past 12 months, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) had carried out a number of detailed inspections, including a review of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), inspections of road policing, and the police response to missing persons. HMICS had also carried out joint inspections with other scrutiny partners, in areas including adult support and protection, children at risk of harm, and of police custody centres. Mr Naylor said work was underway on a joint review with HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland to look at the citation system in Scotland, and on a review with Audit Scotland to look at 'Best Value' arrangements across Scottish policing. He welcomed the recent passing of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 by the Scottish Parliament which strengthens officer vetting and disciplinary powers. However, he said further work was needed to address the financial impact of the new legislation. He said: 'Too little consideration has been given to the wider impact of the legislation – and how this could affect a number of organisations including Police Scotland, the SPA , the Police Investigations and Review Commission (PIRC), and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. 'As part of our scrutiny plan for the next three years, we will inspect how Police Scotland – and others – engage in the proactive work required to assess the likely cost – and other demands that this new legislation will bring.' Mr Naylor said Police Scotland had been on a reform journey since its creation in 2013, and opportunities remained to redesign the organisation to meet future budgetary challenges. He added: 'Policing in Scotland is a complex and multifaceted activity. 'The reform journey cannot simply be a further reduction of capability and capacity within policing. 'The work that is underway to improve the organisation even further will be challenging and it will take time to deliver outcomes. 'This has to be done while continuing to deliver the high quality of service that the people of Scotland demand and deserve.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
