Man arrested in High Wycombe over suspected trafficking of 19 migrants
NCA investigators suspect that he piloted a small boat carrying 18 adults and one child from France to the UK in August 2025
A 36-year-old man has been arrested in Buckinghamshire in connection with the suspected trafficking of 19 illegal migrants into the UK.
Believed to be an Iranian national, the suspect was detained by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in High Wycombe during a raid this morning, Tuesday, 19th May.
NCA investigators suspect that he piloted a small boat carrying 18 adults and one child from France to the UK in August 2025.
Photos taken shortly before the vessel was intercepted in the English Channel show it overcrowded and struggling to remain afloat.
The circumstances surrounding this crossing, as well as any other individuals who may have been involved, remain under investigation by the NCA.
John Purcell, NCA Senior Investigating Officer, highlighted the dangers of such crossings.
"The image of this boat in the water demonstrates just how dangerous these crossings are, and how those involved in organising them don’t care about the risks to those they transport," Purcell said.
Purcell added, "Working with partners we continue to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks who profit from them."
The NCA is currently dedicating significant resources to combating organised immigration crime, with over 100 active investigations.
In the year leading up to April 2026, the agency was involved in nearly 300 arrests, marking a 55 per cent increase compared to the previous year.