NCA Seizes 25 Smuggling Boats and Engines at Felixstowe in Major People-Smuggling Disruption
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA), working with Border Force and the Port of Felixstowe, seized 25 inflatable boats and 25 outboard engines on July 18, 2026, destined for Channel people-smuggling gangs. The ten-meter rubber boats and Parsun outboard engines were found in a container shipped from China. The NCA believes this is the first bulk consignment of its kind intercepted in the UK. The container was en route to Hamburg, Germany, a known staging post for smuggling equipment used in northern France and Belgium. Each boat could carry around 80 people, meaning the seizure potentially prevented 2,000 lives being put at risk in the Channel. The NCA has been targeting equipment supply chains since early 2023, intercepting over 1,500 boats and engines. Investigations continue with international partners. NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry stated the seizure will 'put a huge dent in the profits of the criminal network involved.'
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