LONDON (AP) – A top-level UK National Crime Agency task force charged with breaking up people-smuggling gangs has determined that hundreds of Britons are working with overseas organized crime gangs to facilitate the trade in people fleeing poverty and war.
Ian Cruxton, director of the task force appointed last year by Prime Minister David Cameron, said Tuesday the smuggling gangs are able to quickly develop new methodologies and routes to cope with increased enforcement and have used social media – and agents in border camps like Calais and Dunkirk in France – to find desperate people willing to pay for what they hope will be safe passage to Britain, Germany, Scandinavia and other countries perceived to be welcoming.
Cruxton and National Crime Agency deputy director Tom Dowdall described a thriving smuggling business that treats people as commodities that can be moved for profit. Here are some of the details they revealed:
WHAT IS THE COST OF AN ILLEGAL JOURNEY FROM IRAQ TO BRITAIN?
The task force says costs range from about 5,000 euros ($5,700) for an arduous and risky overland journey to about 17,000 euros for a “deluxe” passage that includes quality forged documents and air travel.