Boats 'set for people smugglers' seized at UK airport for the first time
UK authorities have seized 25 inflatable boats at East Midlands Airport that were intended for people smugglers. This marks the first time such equipment has been intercepted within air freight shipments.
Why it matters
The seizure highlights evolving tactics by criminal networks to bypass maritime security and the ongoing efforts by the National Crime Agency to disrupt human smuggling operations.
Image source, National Crime Agency Image caption, The boats were identified in pallets on an air freight shipment being moved from Turkey to the Netherlands
Officers have seized 25 inflatable boats reportedly destined to be shipped to cross-Channel people smugglers.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the boats - about nine metres in length - were spotted in pallets on an air freight shipment being moved from Turkey to the Netherlands.
The shipment went through a freight hub at East Midlands Airport on the way, allowing NCA and Border Force to intercept on Friday.
NCA officers added this was the second time a large consignment of small boat equipment had been seized in the UK in 2026, but the first time such a detection had been made in air freight.
Image source, National Crime Agency Image caption, The shipment was intercepted on Friday
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