UK Border Agency - Suspected people traffickers arrested
5 Feb 2010 12:55 PM
Six people have been arrested on suspicion of people trafficking by our officers from the North East immigration crime team.
Trafficking and facilitation are serious offences which often involve young and vulnerable members from the international community. The UK Border Agency, working with the North East police forces now has a formidable team to investigate and detect such criminality. Detective Inspector Graham Brown, North East immigration crime team
Officers from the team were called to North Shields ferry terminal last Friday (29 January) after our staff at the port identified a 15-year-old Armenian girl, who had arrived on the ferry from Holland, attempting to enter the UK using a Latvian passport.
Travelling with the girl were two Armenian men, aged 49 and 25, and two Latvian women, aged 33 and 26.
The four adults, who were all bound for Manchester, were all arrested on suspicion of people trafficking offences. Two other Armenian men, aged 30 and 19, and both from the Manchester area, were also later arrested on suspicion of trafficking following further investigations from the North East immigration crime team.
All of the arrested parties have now been released on bail. The girl remains in the care of the local authority.
Detective Inspector Graham Brown, of the North East immigration crime team, said:
'The safety and well being of the young girl is of paramount importance to all the agencies involved in this investigation.
'Trafficking and facilitation are serious offences which often involve young and vulnerable members from the international community. The UK Border Agency, working with the North East police forces now has a formidable team to investigate and detect such criminality.'
Any members of the community who suspect such illegal immigration activity can report their suspicions to our officers and their local police.