Nearly 50 arrests in people smuggling crackdown at Irish border

Immigration Enforcement conducted a three-day operation targeting criminal gangs smuggling people from Ireland into the UK, resulting in 49 arrests at seaports, airports, roads and rail networks. The crackdown, part of Operation Comby, involved multi-agency patrols across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales between 22 and 24 September. Authorities aimed to disrupt organised immigration crime exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA), a long-standing free-movement arrangement between the UK and Ireland.

Operation Comby has led to over 250 arrests of organised criminals and immigration offenders since the election, with 113 removed from the UK. Nearly half a million pounds in cash has been seized during the operation, which targets abuse of the CTA. Routine deployments under Operation Gull across Northern Irish ports have resulted in almost 1,000 arrests in the past year alone.

At Belfast International Airport, two Romanian women were arrested as illegal entrants after travelling from Ireland without required permissions. Further checks identified them as potential victims of trafficking; one was removed to Romania and the other voluntarily returned to Ireland. Belfast Harbour Police stopped a vehicle at Belfast Port carrying four Romanian nationals, discovering £130,000 worth of counterfeit Apple products and arresting all four individuals.

Operation Comby uses an intelligence-led approach to disrupt organised immigration crime networks exploiting CTA routes. Between July 2024 and June 2026, Immigration Enforcement conducted nearly 3,000 enforcement visits in Northern Ireland, leading to over 2,400 arrests and nearly 1,000 removals, including almost 500 to Ireland. The Home Secretary has announced plans to double the Immigration Enforcement budget by 2028/29 and increase workforce numbers by 60%.