Turkish man alleged to have run ‘meet and greet' service for small boat migrants is arrested
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A TURKISH man alleged to have run a 'meet and greet' service for boat migrants has been arrested in an early morning raid.
The Sun joined Home Office immigration enforcement as they tracked the suspected people smuggler down to a family house in Tottenham, North London.
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A Turkish man alleged to have run a 'meet and greet' service for boat migrants has been arrested
Credit: Ray Collins
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Border Force officers found his contact details on phones seized from small boat migrants brought in to Dover
Credit: Getty
We watched as officers stormed the home at 6.25am and nicked the 34-year-old, who was wearing a Hugo Boss t-shirt and North Face tracksuit.
He was brought out handcuffed and led to a police van by two cops.
Others searched his black Mercedes parked over the road in the quiet street.
The Home Office acted after Border Force officers found his contact details on phones seized from small boat migrants brought in to Dover.
read more on migrants
HELPING HAND French officials hand migrants life-jackets as more allowed to set sail for UK
Law enforcement suspect he is part of a 'meet and greet' operation for arrivals and could have been housing some of those trying to enter the UK illegally.
So far this year, more than 23,000 have crossed the Channel on overcrowded dinghies — a record for this point of the year.
Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigations regional lead for London and South, Chris Foster, told The Sun outside the targeted address: 'We think this man is involved in organising some of the small boat crossings from France over to England.
'These people are just taking advantage of the vulnerable.
"They're being sold a dream and actually that's not the reality.
'We're going to bear down on those involved in this vile trade.
Two asylum seekers caught making OnlyFans sex film in hotel paid for by YOU in shocking abuse of system
'It's not just about people coming here illegally, it also feeds things like illegal working.
"People involved in this often have got links to other organised crime, drug dealing, things like that."
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