Three Albanians and a Moldovan woman are arrested in dawn raids targeting people smuggling ring 'who advertised illegal crossings on social media'
Three Albanian men and a woman from Moldova were detained on suspicion of immigration offences as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into the group.
They are also suspected of picking up illegal migrants from HGV stops in Kent and taking them to London.
A 31-year-old man was arrested in Edmonton, north London, a 29-year-old man in Enfield and a 30-year-old man near Gatwick Airport on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old woman was arrested in Leyton.
Their arrests follow the conviction of a lorry driver earlier this year, prosecuted after Border Force officers found an illegal migrant hiding in a vehicle stopped at Dover in February.
Officials from the NCA, Metropolitan Police and Home Office also visited five cafes in Walthamstow, Chingford and Dagenham, east London and other businesses thought to have been used by members of the smuggling gang.
Separately, two people were arrested for immigration offences in Edmonton, while another individual was arrested by police for failing to appear at court.
Five cafes in Walthamstow, Chingford and Dagenham, east London and other businesses thought to have been used by members of the smuggling gang were also visited
NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry said: 'Tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority for the NCA, and the arrests carried out by my officers today are the result of an investigation into a gang we suspect of advertising and orchestrating HGV crossings from France.
'These types of illegal crossings, whether by boat or in HGVs, risk the lives of those being transported and threaten the UK's border security, which is why targeting the organisers behind them is so important for us.
'Working with law enforcement and Government partners we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in people smuggling.
'These arrests and further operations with partners to visit premises across east London show that in action.'
The NCA said more than 8,000 social media accounts used by people smugglers were taken down in 2024.
It currently has around 80 investigations into illegal migration gangs.
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