Arrests after yacht carrying suspected illegal migrants intercepted
The boat was picked up off the coast of the Isle of Wight
A yacht suspected of carrying illegal migrants has been intercepted in the English Channel, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.
The boat, which had travelled from northern France, was picked up off the coast of the Isle of Wight on Sunday as part of an NCA-led operation.
It was then escorted into Gosport Marina in Hampshire by a Border Force cutter, the agency said on Monday.
Two Ukrainian nationals, aged 43 and 37, whom the NCA said manned the yacht, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration.
Five passengers, including four Albanian nationals and a Vietnamese national, were also arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
All seven people remain in custody while they are being questioned by NCA investigators, the agency added.
NCA senior investigating officer Julian Harriman said: "This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale, which has been supported by Border Force.
"Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved."