A Chinese man suspected of playing an instrumental role in smuggling migrants into the UK has been arrested today in a dawn raid on his Kent home.
Chen Canjian, 43, was detained by officers from the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police, who were acting on a European Arrest Warrant.
Chen - who used the aliases of Jian Chen, Jian Ding and Chen Can Jian and went by the nickname of “The Bald” - is suspected of smuggling migrants into countries including the UK and France.
He was wanted as part of a criminal group based in France, and previously lived in the Ile de France region of the country.
He is alleged to have procured false documents for Chinese migrants seeking to travel to the UK, and his mobile phone number was allegedly found in the contacts of several suspected migrants arrested in France.
According to French authorities, Chen would receive payment from the China-based families of those using his services.
Following his arrest, Chen appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court, where he was remanded in custody until his next hearing on September 2.
NCA regional Operations Manager, Graham Roberts, said: “Chen is suspected of making substantial amounts of money from smuggling people across borders, and was therefore a target of the UK’s Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce."
