Six people have been arrested in raids on a suspected smuggling gang accused of bringing migrants from the UK to France in lorries.

The suspects were arrested as part of a National Crime Agency operation, with dawn raids carried out across various addresses in north London today.

The men are aged 29 to 51 and are thought to be Moroccan and Algerian nationals, with a 39-year-old man from Algeria alleged to be the ringleader.

Their arrests come after 100 migrants were found in lorry trailers that were intercepted as they travelled to Dover throughout 2023.

Five other men have been convicted of transporting the migrants, two of whom are due to be sentenced on April 16.

Chris Hill, NCA branch commander, said: “Today’s action signifies a key moment in our ongoing investigation into a network suspected of smuggling people out of the UK in HGVs to evade border controls. People smugglers don’t care about the wellbeing of those they transport. They see human beings as commodities and put their lives at risk simply in order to make money.

“The risks to life associated with this criminality is why disrupting the groups responsible for smuggling human beings remains an operational priority for the NCA.”