Nineteen suspected migrant smugglers have been arrested in France and the UK in an operation targeting a network that moved Vietnamese migrants for up to €50,000 each across the English Channel.
The arrests came during an action day on 30 March 2025 involving authorities in Belgium, France and the UK, with support from Europol and Eurojust, the EU agency for judicial cooperation, Europol announced on Friday.
Migrants were taken to the UK mainly in lorries leaving ports in northern France and, to a lesser extent, by small boat.
More than 40 people described as irregular migrants were found during searches in France.
Police searched 20 locations — 16 in France and four in the UK — and seized an apartment, 10 vehicles, €60,000 and £2,500 in cash, identity and travel documents, and more than 25 phones and other electronic devices. One bank account holding €75,000 was frozen.
Fees of up to €50,000 to reach the UK
Migrants paid up to €50,000 to travel from Vietnam to the UK, with the group organising more than 200 crossings from France and moving more than 1,000 people across the Channel, Europol said.
Investigators estimate the network generated about €50 million in turnover.
Financial inquiries identified about €1.6 million transferred from the UK to Vietnam. The main organiser is believed to be an unidentified woman based in Vietnam.
Taxi drivers were paid about €700 to transport migrants from Paris to meeting points in northern France or Belgium.
The final leg from France to the UK typically cost £8,000 to £10,000 as part of a wider package that could include visa applications, flights to Europe, accommodation and onward transport.
Many migrants paid only part of the total upfront and arrived with significant debts, which increased their vulnerability to sexual and labour exploitation, Europol said.
