London
British police this week arrested at least 18 people suspected of smuggling up to 200,000 illegal immigrants into Britain. Police forces across Europe have been working together for two years to track the smugglers, who are believed to run Europe’s largest human-trafficking network. Most of the immigrants were Turkish Kurds or Balkan refugees seeking a new life in Britain. Each paid up to $9,000 to be smuggled in hidden containers loaded on trucks for a treacherous journey that often took months and left an unknown number dead. Those who survived would disappear into Britain’s underground economy.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meatThe Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human bloodUnder the radar Drugging the bugs
