A man who is suspected of facilitating the arrival of 19 illegal migrants into the UK has been arrested by the National Crime Agency.

The 36-year-old, believed to be an Iranian national, was detained by NCA officers during a raid in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, on the morning of Tuesday 19 May. He remains in custody for questioning.

The man is suspected of piloting a small boat which brought 18 adults and one child to the UK from France in August 2025.

Images of the packed dinghy taken shortly before it was intercepted in the English Channel show the stern of the over-crowded vessel low in the water, struggling to stay afloat.

The circumstances surrounding the crossing, and others who may have been behind it, remain under investigation by the NCA.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Purcell said:

“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.

“Working with partners we continue to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks who profit from them.”

The NCA is devoting more resource than ever before to tackling organised immigration crime, with more than 100 investigations ongoing.

In the year to April 2026 the Agency was involved in around 300 arrests, a 55 per cent increase on the previous year.

19 May 2026