25 smuggler dinghies seized in air cargo at East Midlands Airport

Police have seized 25 inflatable dinghies at East Midlands Airport near Nottingham in the first interception of such boats in air cargo in the UK. The boats were shrink-wrapped on pallets and were capable of carrying about 1,700 people across the Channel. Each was 10 metres long and could hold up to 70 people. They had a flimsy wooden board at the back and single-chamber inflatables, meaning even a small puncture could sink them.

Officers identified the shipment through intelligence work involving Home Office Intelligence and Border Force. Investigators said they analyse how smugglers use code words and disguises to move equipment. The consignment had come from Turkey, with the UK as a stop-off point before it continued to the Netherlands. From there, police believe the boats would have been taken by vehicle to the French coast for use in Channel crossings.

It is the second time the National Crime Agency has confiscated packaged boats in freight passing through the UK. In July, 25 boats and 25 engines were seized in containers from China that arrived at Felixstowe. That shipment was also only passing through the UK and was destined for Hamburg.

More than 1,600 boats or engines have been seized by customs officials across Europe working with the NCA since 2023. Investigators say that is enough capacity to move more than 100,000 people across the Channel. The seizures are meant to disrupt smuggling gangs and drive up their costs.

An official said smugglers are adept at changing their methods, adding that law enforcement must keep one step ahead. The official said the airport seizure showed that no matter which route smugglers used, authorities would try to identify and seize the equipment and arrest those behind it.

Police say their efforts have helped to halve the number of boats crossing the Channel this year. But there are warnings that smugglers have shifted to bigger boats and longer crossings, which increases the danger. Last year, a punctured boat came close enough to the French shore to abort its crossing, and those on board survived. Many others have died. Last week, six men were convicted of manslaughter over the deaths of 31 people who sank in a similar boat in 2021.

The seizure also fed a wider political argument about border control. Some said it showed the smuggling trade remains highly organised, with boats flown into the UK and moved out again. Others pointed to a 40% fall in the number of people crossing as evidence that current enforcement is having an effect.