Indian man arrested in UK over people smuggling social media adverts

London, Dec 22 (PTI) A 29-year-old Indian national was arrested in Birmingham on Monday as part of an investigation into the advertising of people smuggling services on social media, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The unnamed man is suspected of working on behalf of an organised crime network moving illegal migrants in trucks. He was arrested on suspicion of "facilitating illegal immigration" following a joint NCA and West Midlands Police investigation.

“A man has been arrested in Birmingham as part of a joint National Crime Agency and West Midlands Police investigation into the advertising of people smuggling services on social media," the NCA said in a statement.

“The 29-year-old Indian national... is suspected of working on behalf of an organised crime network moving people in the backs of lorries, and was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration," it said.

The officers made the arrest in the Holyhead Road area of Handsworth in Birmingham and continue to question the suspect in custody.

“Our investigation, which is being conducted alongside partners from West Midlands Police, continues following this arrest,” said Kevin Broadhead, NCA Branch Commander.

“Tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority for the NCA, and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the networks involved," he said.

A number of electronic devices are said to have been seized as part of the operation and are being examined as part of the probe.

The NCA said that following the raid on the property at Holyhead Road, a second male was also arrested for being in the UK illegally and was handed over to the UK’s immigration authorities for an expected deportation.

The latest action comes as part of the British government’s wider efforts to clamp down on illegal migration, claiming that record numbers of employers have been banned from sponsoring foreign workers after they were found using work visas to help migrants circumvent the country's immigration rules.

The UK Home Office claims that nearly 50,000 people with no right to remain in the UK have been removed since July 2024, with people smuggling arrests, convictions and seizures reportedly up by 33 per cent in the past 12 months.

“Reducing the number of arrivals is just half the story. We must also remove those who have no right to be here," Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said, with reference to her plans to crack down on illegal immigration.

Home Office figures released in August claimed that Indian nationals in detention as part of the crackdown had almost doubled in the past year, up 108 per cent.

According to the data, 2,715 Indians were logged as being in detention under the UK’s immigration law breach. PTI AK SCY SCY