Border Force launches patrol boat on Thames in fight against human trafficking

Thames Eagle: The new boat on the Thames

A coastal patrol vessel from the UK Border Force has been deployed on the Thames in central London for the first time to stop the river being used by human traffickers and criminal gangs.

The Eagle targets drugs, gun-running and customs offences, checks suspicious vessels and gathers intelligence from law-abiding river users. It also aims to ensure boat crews are not subjected to modern slavery.

There is concern that marinas and boatyards along the Thames estuary could be used by organised crime networks to bring illicit goods and migrants into Britain.

Doug McLellan, head of the UK Border Force maritime unit, said the vessel was one of four protecting domestic waters and its deployment in the Thames recognised the proximity of the South-East to Europe’s mainland. “Our priority is class-A drugs, firearms, the exploitation of people.

On the lookout: Commander Nick Willis and Mark Pester on the Thames

Then it’s things like tobacco smuggling down to irregularities in ships’ stores, environmental damage and illegal fishing,” he said.

“It is easy for less legitimate vessels to mingle in with regular traffic.

There are boatyards and marinas all down the Thames.”

The vessel has been working with the Met and Essex police maritime units to target what the Home Office described as “small unscheduled vessels used to facilitate illegal migration or smuggle prohibited commodities.” Craft checked have included yachts from Europe as well as larger boats.

Immigration minister Brandon Lewis said: “The Thames provides a major route that can be exploited by criminals. Border Force is sending a clear message that they cannot operate.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT