UK police have arrested dozens of people in a cross-border crackdown against people-smuggling gangs exploiting free movement between the UK and Ireland, Britain's interior ministry has said.
The crackdown "has led to the arrest of 35 people in multiple locations across the UK and Ireland," the UK Home Office said in a statement.
Immigration staff and police raided locations including Belfast, Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland as part of a three-day operation, it said.
The operation, known as Operation Comby, is a partnership between the UK Home Office, the PSNI and An Garda Síochána.
It targeted criminal groups exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA) and abusing UK borders on all fronts, the statement said.
Ireland and the UK share a Common Travel Area - an arrangement that allows citizens of the two jurisdictions to have unrestricted movement across the border.
But it has sparked unease in Ireland amid allegations that migrants are using Belfast as a backdoor to the Republic, and in the other direction into Britain.
Earlier this year, after a surge in people applying for asylum in Ireland, the Irish Government said most people had come over the land border with Northern Ireland.
Minister for Justice at the time, Helen McEntee, said that more than 80% of asylum seekers enter the Republic over the land border.
The UK Home Office said that checks at major ports, airports, road networks and private addresses across the UK had detected the gangs' activities.
It said the operation aims to tackle "ruthless criminal gangs, operating both in the UK and internationally, who exploit vulnerable migrants, charging them thousands of pounds to enter the UK illegally, luring them with false promises of a better life".
A car, two fraudulent identity documents and £5,000 of cash were seized during the operation.
The UK Home Office said the counterfeit documents allow migrants to bypass border checks, trapping vulnerable people in further illegal activities.
Home Office Immigration Enforcement Inspector Jonathan Evans said the success of the operation is down to the strength of partnerships with all the law enforcement agencies involved.
"Our joint work sends a clear message that the criminals who break our laws will face serious consequences," he said.
"We are taking action to ensure we stay a step ahead of these criminal groups, disrupting them at the earliest possible stage. We will continue working closely with our partners in the UK and Ireland to ensure no one abuses the Common Travel Area or the UK's borders," he added.
UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Angela Eagle, said the UK government "will not stand by as criminal gangs exploit vulnerable people, giving them false hope of a better life in the UK".
"Driven by greed, these gangs have no regard for human life or safety, charging outrageous fees, preying on those desperate to escape hardship, and forcing them into illegal and dangerous situations," she said.
Additional reporting AFP
