BBC - Violent Channel smuggling gang's French and UK network

Found it, there are other examples online, but this is the one I was thinking of.
www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/nca-and-bpol-target-channel-small-boat-suppliers

Presumably because opportunists were buying them? The bigger operations are much more sophisticated than that, I’m sure. I’ll see if I can find the article I saw about warehouses being used.

So why has the honest trader had to stop selling them if they they're not the same as the ones bought by the criminal gangs?

Yes, I meant that sellers in Calais are not buying them specifically to sell to migrants. They use bigger dinghies normally than the average punter would buy, and overload them. I can’t imagine how perilous it would be for an opportunist to buy a smaller one and set sail for the UK, but I don’t doubt they do.

Decathlon in Calais took all their boats, kayaks, etc off the shelves though. So there must be opportunists buying them locally.

Oreo

Allira

I'm astonished that it never crossed the mind of that genuine honest businessman in Calais that he was selling an awful lot more inflatable rubber dinghies than he did for the usual leisure trade and that he was making an awful lot more profit as a result! 🤔

Yeah right! 😂
The end of a lucrative trade for a few.

That’s not what Petra said though, there was not a suggestion that the seller in Calais was selling dinghies to migrants. - pretty unlikely he would be, if you think about it. I’m sure I read that the dinghies are imported in bulk, stored in warehouses all over Europe, and transported by road to the gang organisers as they use them.

Allira

I'm astonished that it never crossed the mind of that genuine honest businessman in Calais that he was selling an awful lot more inflatable rubber dinghies than he did for the usual leisure trade and that he was making an awful lot more profit as a result! 🤔

Yeah right! 😂
The end of a lucrative trade for a few.

I'm astonished that it never crossed the mind of that genuine honest businessman in Calais that he was selling an awful lot more inflatable rubber dinghies than he did for the usual leisure trade and that he was making an awful lot more profit as a result! 🤔

petra

I’ve read that the Chinese are not best pleased that a company of theirs is complicit in this business.
There lies another problem for people to get round.
Buying these inflatables isn’t illegal.
A genuine honest businessman in Calais has had to stop selling them. Honest people do buy them.

Exactly! There's absolutely nothing illegal about inflatable boats or selling/buying them. That's why it's important that the end users for illegal purposes are identified and the supply chains chased back, which requires international co-operation and undercover operations.

I’ve read that the Chinese are not best pleased that a company of theirs is complicit in this business.
There lies another problem for people to get round.
Buying these inflatables isn’t illegal.
A genuine honest businessman in Calais has had to stop selling them. Honest people do buy them.

escaped

While I'm waiting for the dogs to eat their breakfast, I found the name of the Chinese company manufacturing the small boats.
Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co.
So, isn't it simple enough to work back from this outfit and see who is acquiring multiple craft and motors etc and where they are being moved onto?

That's exactly how people get caught. One would also need China's co-operation. That's why alerting "agents" by trying to interview them on TV in places like Calais isn't a good idea. The public doesn't know what goes on behind the scenes.

While I'm waiting for the dogs to eat their breakfast, I found the name of the Chinese company manufacturing the small boats.
Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co.
So, isn't it simple enough to work back from this outfit and see who is acquiring multiple craft and motors etc and where they are being moved onto?

BBC News this evening:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wnd58zyx8o
A man suspected of being part of an organised crime group that smuggled people to the UK in small boats has been arrested.

Officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) said they earlier detained the 22-year-old Iranian at an address in Acocks Green in Birmingham on suspicion of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

The arrest followed a BBC investigation into the activities of a people smuggling group operating in northern France and the West Midlands.

At least it was followed up.
I was surprised at his age.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I fail to see how swapping one immigrant for a different immigrant helps. It's still one more immigrant. 🤷‍♀️

Plus France has a veto on who we can send back.

I dunno, perhaps we could as a sovereign nation swap back a bit.

Like I'll trade you an Egyptian born consultant for a fruit picker?

It might work I suppose.

Just to even things up …

www.migrationwatchuk.org/what-is-the-problem

Oreo

I think we all know that they don’t have to, the question is why are so very many choosy about which European country they stay in if the are indeed, to use that beloved phrase always trotted out ‘fleeing wars or persecution’.
The answer, as we all know again, is that most aren’t.We also know that some favour the UK as they can speak some English and others have family here, but that doesn’t cover the sheer numbers that arrive on our shores year in year out.
No, it’s the pull of no ID cards and better overall benefits.

Spot on Oreo and we don’t need people SHOUTING at us and telling us what we already know.

They think the UK is the land of milk and honey. We are a soft touch and they know it hence why they hang out of hotel windows filming protestors and laughing their heads off. Imagine their friends back wherever they come from watching their videos and sharing them with even more young men who think they’ll have a piece of the action.

No ID cards as you say, great benefit system, start a new life if you have a dodgy past, get all your needs met even yoga classes and day trips so you don’t get bored doing nothing.

No wonder some people call them Gimmegrants.

Thanks re hotel name.

sundowngirl

growstuff

sundowngirl My understanding is that the UK has only just started paying France £500 million for the pilot "one-in-one-out" scheme, which doesn't include slashing boats.

If you have any evidence that the UK pays France money for anything else, please could you post it. Thanks!

The UK has not 'only just' starting paying France to stop the boats. We have been paying them for years - this from Google AI

Since 2015, the UK government has given France over £232 million to help stop illegal immigration. This includes funding for security infrastructure, increased police presence, and improved surveillance technologies.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

2015: £10 million over two years.
2016: £17 million.
2018: £45.5 million (Sandhurst Treaty).
2019: £3.25 million (Joint Action Plan).
2020: £28.1 million (Joint Statement).
2021: £54 million (Joint Statement).
2022: £62.2 million (Joint Statement).

Additional payments: Just under £87 million has also been paid to France for border control purposes during the same period.
Future commitment: The UK has also committed to providing a further £476 million of funding to France between 2023 and 2026.

So where did the figure of £500 million come from?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

My sister just texted me

“Starmer out & Farage in. That’d be my ‘one for one’ 😊”

She’s resident in Spain so just an observation!

Is she an immigrant?

Hampton by Hilton is the name CariadAgain in case you're concerned.

The Exeter Hotel is by the airport CariadAgain, so not really in Exeter proper. I think there are 500 migrants there.

I can recommend some nice hotels around 10 miles from Exeter if you fancy a change! 🌞

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I fail to see how swapping one immigrant for a different immigrant helps. It's still one more immigrant. 🤷‍♀️

Plus France has a veto on who we can send back.

The first migrants have been detained today. This explains.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce35v0zyzvlo
It is a deterrent to others because the migrants who are returned will lose the fare they have paid to cross the channel, and most of them have no other resources. It’s a particular risk for migrants who have already been refused asylum in other European countries I would think. The ones with family here would most likely be granted asylum here as well, so we will get one, instead of that person as well as the other.

growstuff

sundowngirl My understanding is that the UK has only just started paying France £500 million for the pilot "one-in-one-out" scheme, which doesn't include slashing boats.

If you have any evidence that the UK pays France money for anything else, please could you post it. Thanks!

The UK has not 'only just' starting paying France to stop the boats. We have been paying them for years - this from Google AI

Since 2015, the UK government has given France over £232 million to help stop illegal immigration. This includes funding for security infrastructure, increased police presence, and improved surveillance technologies.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

2015: £10 million over two years.
2016: £17 million.
2018: £45.5 million (Sandhurst Treaty).
2019: £3.25 million (Joint Action Plan).
2020: £28.1 million (Joint Statement).
2021: £54 million (Joint Statement).
2022: £62.2 million (Joint Statement).

Additional payments: Just under £87 million has also been paid to France for border control purposes during the same period.
Future commitment: The UK has also committed to providing a further £476 million of funding to France between 2023 and 2026.

My sister just texted me

“Starmer out & Farage in. That’d be my ‘one for one’ 😊”

She’s resident in Spain so just an observation!

Wot being gay or trans you mean?