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Evil smuggling gangs ordering dinghies online from China to ferry migrants: Reports

Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 26 Jan 2023, 05:31 am Print

Evil smuggling gangs ordering dinghies online from China to ferry migrants: Reports

Representational image by US Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons

London: Evil gangs are currently ordering dinghies online from China to ferry migrants across the Channel to the UK, media reports said on Wednesday.

The National Crime Agency has identified a handful of factories in Shandong province as a major source of boats landing on the south coast, reports The Sun.

The craft is being sold on Chinese online marketplace Alibaba.com for as little as £200, the newspaper reported.

The website says dinghies can be shipped anywhere in the world within a week — amid fears 2023 migrant crossings will hit 80,000.

It boasts small PVC dinghies for £200, 7.5ft fibreglass vessels for £700 to £900 and 25ft inflatable ribs for around £10,000, the newspaper reported.

An NCA source told The Sun: “There’s an ecosystem with companies providing the bulk of the boats and advertising them online.”