Three arrested in people smuggling boats probe

The National Crime Agency said stopping people smuggling was a priority

Three arrests have been made as part of an investigation into the smuggling of people to the UK in small boats.

A man, 53, from Birmingham, is suspected of being in contact with gangs in France and Belgium to arrange payments and spaces on boats, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

He was arrested in Sutton Coldfield along with a 42-year-old woman, while a man, 39, was detained in Hounslow.

A stash of phones and cash was also seized.

All three were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

NCA branch commander Mick Pope said people smugglers posed "a threat not just to UK border security but also to those they transport".

He said "disrupting and dismantling" the smuggling networks was a priority.