Six men suspected of being part of a people smuggling network behind Channel crossings have been arrested in France.
The group, from Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan and France, are accused of storing boats which would have been used by migrants to make the journey across the Channel to the UK, the National Crime Agency said.
Four boats and motors, as well as 133 lifejackets, were seized from a lock-up garage in northern France when the arrests were made between October 18 and 20.
According to French police, the group visited the garage 20 times between July 29 and October 20 and are said to have taken delivery of the boats.
They are due to stand trial in the French courts in February next year.
NCA deputy director Andrea Wilson said: “These arrests and the significant seizure of boats and lifejackets are a result of the close partnership working between the NCA and our partners in France.
“Seizing these items means they will not be utilised by criminal gangs sending people on these dangerous Channel crossings.”
The news follows unconfirmed reports that around 30 migrants are missing after about 80 are said to have landed undetected in Kent on Sunday.
Police were reportedly called to a home where one man had gone to ask to use a phone.
This is the third time this year an “uncontrolled landing” has been recorded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), after other incidents in June and September.
2021 saw 39 uncontrolled landings, the MoD previously said.
It is understood the latest incident took place on Shakespeare beach in Dover involving two boats, with Border Force officials and police officers arriving shortly afterwards to apprehend the people who were still in the area.
The Home Office refused to provide any more information or confirm how many people had been detained in the incident and whether any were still unaccounted for.
The department did not explain why it could not provide the information other than to say it would not comment on a live investigation.
Kent Police also declined to provide any information on its involvement in the incident, instead directing questions to the Home Office.
More than 38,000 people have been recorded as arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year, according to provisional government figures.
This includes more than 13,000 since the start of September.
On Sunday, 528 people were recorded making the journey in 10 boats but no crossings took place on Monday.
