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UK taskforce aims to close 'intelligence gaps' on people-smuggling networks UK taskforce aims to close ‘intelligence gaps’ on people-smuggling networks
(36 minutes later)
The UK’s people-smuggling taskforce is confronting a range of “intelligence gaps” as it begins its work to combat the gangs facilitating much of the refugee crisis across Europe.The UK’s people-smuggling taskforce is confronting a range of “intelligence gaps” as it begins its work to combat the gangs facilitating much of the refugee crisis across Europe.
Tom Dowdall, deputy director at the National Crime Agency, responsible for the taskforce, said the UK’s capacity to combat people-smuggling networks lagged behind the teams working on tracking down European drug-smuggling rings. Tom Dowdall, the deputy director of the National Crime Agency, responsible for the taskforce, said the UK’s capacity to combat people-smuggling networks lagged behind the teams working on tracking down European drug-smuggling rings.
“In terms of serious organised crime, our knowledge around drug smuggling is much more mature than our knowledge around organised immigration crime,” he told a House of Lords committee, adding that work needed to be done to bridge that gap. “There are some intelligence gaps,” he said, including “understanding financial flows” between people smugglers.“In terms of serious organised crime, our knowledge around drug smuggling is much more mature than our knowledge around organised immigration crime,” he told a House of Lords committee, adding that work needed to be done to bridge that gap. “There are some intelligence gaps,” he said, including “understanding financial flows” between people smugglers.
Related: People smuggling: how it works, who benefits and how it can be stopped | Clár Ní ChonghaileRelated: People smuggling: how it works, who benefits and how it can be stopped | Clár Ní Chonghaile
The taskforce, which was launched in June, already has officers based in France, Sicily and other key locations as it builds up the 90-strong team dedicated to “breaking the business model” of people smuggling.The taskforce, which was launched in June, already has officers based in France, Sicily and other key locations as it builds up the 90-strong team dedicated to “breaking the business model” of people smuggling.
It has begun monitoring the online activities of criminals organising the transportation of people across borders, aiming to disrupt lines of communication between people smugglers and migrants, Dowdall said today. It has begun monitoring the online activities of criminals organising the transportation of people across borders, aiming to disrupt lines of communication between people smugglers and migrants, Dowdall said on Wednesday.
“We are seeing the extent to which crime groups are using social media to communicate with individuals,” Dowdall said. “Sometimes that is a very simple message that says: ‘There is a vessel leaving at this time if you come to this location’. Sometimes it is more long-term: putting information out there, selling their services.” The taskforce was working to take down those posts. “We are seeing the extent to which crime groups are using social media to communicate with individuals,” he said. “Sometimes that is a very simple message that says: ‘There is a vessel leaving at this time if you come to this location.’ Sometimes it is more long-term: putting information out there, selling their services.” The taskforce was working to take down those posts.
Officers were also focused on identifying suspicious and poor-condition ships and boats, and on investigating illegal flows of money related to people smugglers, he said.Officers were also focused on identifying suspicious and poor-condition ships and boats, and on investigating illegal flows of money related to people smugglers, he said.
Dowdall added that although Calais, with over 3,000 Heavy Goods Vehicles traveling through the port every day and services operating at 30 to 40-minute intervals, attracts large numbers of people trying to enter the UK, it is not the always the centre of people-smuggling activity, which is often routed through the Hook of Holland and other European ports. Dowdall said Calais was not always the centre of activity, even though it attracts large numbers of people trying to enter the UK, with more than 3,000 heavy goods vehicles travelling through the port every day and services operating at 30 to 40-minute intervals. Instead, people smugglers often operate through the Hook of Holland and other European ports.
Related: 'Money, now': people smugglers conduct brisk business in HungaryRelated: 'Money, now': people smugglers conduct brisk business in Hungary
“This is much smaller in numbers than through Calais, but this tends to be the more organised end because it does take quite a lot of organisation to come through some of those areas, and you will pay more money to do that,” Dowdall said. “What you see at Calais is lower-level activity. Anything that is more sophisticated will by its nature be less visible.”“This is much smaller in numbers than through Calais, but this tends to be the more organised end because it does take quite a lot of organisation to come through some of those areas, and you will pay more money to do that,” Dowdall said. “What you see at Calais is lower-level activity. Anything that is more sophisticated will by its nature be less visible.”
Over the past months organised crime groups have been profiting from the mass migration through a number of means, he said: “These crime groups will look at people and firearms and drugs as commodities, and quite often these crime groups will be involved in a range of activities”. Dowdall added that tracking them down was very challenging the task, given the “compartmentalised” nature of people smuggling, often consisting of numerous separate, unconnected individuals facilitating travel and organising safe-houses at different borders through north Africa and Europe. Over the past months organised crime groups have been profiting from mass migration through a number of means, he said. “These crime groups will look at people and firearms and drugs as commodities, and quite often these crime groups will be involved in a range of activities.” Dowdall added that tracking them down was very challenging, given the “compartmentalised” nature of people smuggling, often consisting of numerous unconnected individuals facilitating travel and organising safe houses at different borders through north Africa and Europe.
One Oxford academic told a previous hearing that the UK’s system for sharing information with its European counterparts was “a mess”, stating that he had “an A4 list of different agencies and different intelligence-gathering mechanisms” working on this issue. Dowdall said he had “some sympathy” with this description of the authorities working across Europe to tackle people smuggling, but work was under way to simplify lines of communication.One Oxford academic told a previous hearing that the UK’s system for sharing information with its European counterparts was “a mess”, stating that he had “an A4 list of different agencies and different intelligence-gathering mechanisms” working on this issue. Dowdall said he had “some sympathy” with this description of the authorities working across Europe to tackle people smuggling, but work was under way to simplify lines of communication.