Small boats to cross Channel seized in Bulgaria

The 25 boats are about 8m (26.2ft) long

Small boats due to be used by people smugglers in the English Channel have been seized from a lorry in Bulgaria.

National Crime Agency (NCA) officers worked with Bulgarian partners to seize the 25 inflatable boats, which had just crossed the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint.

More than 25,000 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2025, the first time that number has been reached in July, according to official figures.

Jacque Beer, NCA's regional head of investigation, said: "Taking them out before they could reach the shores of northern France means we have not only prevented crossings from happening and lives being put at risk, but also put a dent in the profits of the people smugglers."

Ms Beer said the boats, which when inflated were about 8m (26.2ft) long and could have carried a total of up to 1,500 people, were "completely ill-suited for use at sea".

The NCA said the seizure was thought to be the biggest single detection of small boats in 2025.

The action was made as part of an NCA operation, supported by Home Office International Operations, targeting supplies of small boat equipment moving into Europe.

The operation gathered intelligence which led to Bulgarian customs officers intercepting the lorry.

The boats were seized from the back of a lorry

Martin Hewitt, the UK's border security commander, added: "This seizure marks a significant step forward in our joint work alongside the NCA to disrupt the supply chain fuelling these dangerous small boat crossings."

Ms Beer said work with international partners had intercepted more than 650 boats and engines since early 2023.

Just under 37,000 people crossed the English Channel and 695 small boats arrived in the UK without permission in 2024, according to Home Office statistics.