Channel smuggling gangs turn to larger vessels as small‑boat crackdown tightens

A BBC investigation has uncovered that rival criminal organisations, traditionally competing over smuggling routes, are now forming uneasy alliances because of a dwindling supply of small boats. The report, based on interviews with law‑enforcement officials and intercepted communications, indicates that the scarcity of these vessels—crucial for transporting illicit goods and people across coastal waters—has forced groups that once fought each other to cooperate in order to maintain their operations.

The shortage, investigators say, stems from intensified patrols, a surge in vessel seizures and rising costs for acquiring and maintaining suitable boats. As a result, gangs are sharing assets, pooling resources and coordinating routes that were previously contested. Authorities warn that this collaboration could streamline illicit networks, making them more resilient and harder to disrupt, prompting calls for increased monitoring of maritime activity and tighter controls on the procurement of small craft.