Belgian police have smashed a people smuggling gang that was preparing to traffic more than 200 illegal immigrants across the English Channel to Britain.
By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels Last Updated: 1:27PM BST 19 Oct 2008
The criminal gang, which charged Asian migrants over £15,000 for their journey from India via Moscow, is thought to have smuggled "thousands" of illegal immigrants in Britain over the last year and a half. Police swooped on 19 suspected safe-houses in Brussels and surrounding suburbs during dawn raids on Saturday and discovered over 200 immigrants. The gangs ringleaders are said to be among 15 people arrested.
The criminal gang, which charged Asian migrants over £15,000 for their journey from India via Moscow, is thought to have smuggled "thousands" of illegal immigrants in Britain over the last year and a half. Police swooped on 19 suspected safe-houses in Brussels and surrounding suburbs during dawn raids on Saturday and discovered over 200 immigrants. The gangs ringleaders are said to be among 15 people arrested.
Many of the illegal immigrants were found in wretched conditions. In one case 24 people were found crammed in inside a windowless room measuring 129 square feet.
Police also found 50 illegal immigrants hiding in a Sikh temple in Vilvoorde, a suburb north of Brussels. "We arrested at least two people that we believe were the brains behind the trafficking operations in Belgium. They controlled a whole series of little groups, sometimes working together, sometimes competing against each other," said Belgium's deputy public prosecutor Tim De Wolf. "We hope that we have broken up the core of the network. This operation proved this is happening on a large scale."
Police also found 50 illegal immigrants hiding in a Sikh temple in Vilvoorde, a suburb north of Brussels. "We arrested at least two people that we believe were the brains behind the trafficking operations in Belgium. They controlled a whole series of little groups, sometimes working together, sometimes competing against each other," said Belgium's deputy public prosecutor Tim De Wolf. "We hope that we have broken up the core of the network. This operation proved this is happening on a large scale."
Most illegal migrants captured in the raids were Indian men aged between 15 and 35 years old, accompanied by some women and children, from the Punjab region of India.
The migrants were on the risky last leg of their long journey to Britain, a expensive stage that involves paying up to £4,000 in bribes to travel in the trailer of a lorry driver.
Poorer illegal immigrants paid the smugglers over £1,000 to be placed inside the trailer of unsuspecting drivers found in parking lots along Belgian and French motorways.
"We suspect that in a year we are speaking about thousands of illegal Indians passing through Belgium to the UK," said Mr De Wolf.
The migrants were on the risky last leg of their long journey to Britain, a expensive stage that involves paying up to £4,000 in bribes to travel in the trailer of a lorry driver.
Poorer illegal immigrants paid the smugglers over £1,000 to be placed inside the trailer of unsuspecting drivers found in parking lots along Belgian and French motorways.
"We suspect that in a year we are speaking about thousands of illegal Indians passing through Belgium to the UK," said Mr De Wolf.
The international investigation into the network started after two of human traffickers operating from India were arrested. Britain is the top destination for Asian illegal immigrants because it already has a large Indian community, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas last week promised new measures to halt the trade in the face of rising unemployment.
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