A series of police raids targeting people smugglers who bring migrants to the UK in small boats have been carried out in Germany.
Hundreds of officers took part in dawn raids in a number of cities in the west of the country on Wednesday.
UK authorities are understood to be supporting the action, but all of the operational activity is taking place in Germany, and the investigation is being led by France.
The action is targeting gangs who take migrants from the Middle East and North Africa to France, before embarking on deadly Channel crossings to the UK in flimsy inflatable boats.
They are often dangerously overcrowded and capsize, and the migrants are left to drown in the freezing water.
More than 500 officers were involved in the raids on Wednesday.
Home Office figures show that more than 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since the Labour government came to power in July.
