Calais people-smuggling gang broken up with 19 arrests, says Europol

Year-long investigation leads to arrest of Iraqi Kurdish gang leader and five key organisers in Germany

One of the most active and largest people-smuggling gangs operating in Calais has been dismantled with 19 “high-value targets” arrested by German, French and Belgian police after a year-long investigation, Europol has announced.

Operation Task Force Wave involved 600 police with the leader of the Iraqi Kurdish gang and five of the main organisers arrested in Germany where the people-smuggling operation was orchestrated, police said.