The Police in southern England on Friday charged a 64-year-old man with smuggling eight Albanian illegal migrants into Britain on a small motor yacht.
The National Crime Agency said British citizen Charles Edward Lynch was charged with facilitating illegal entry to the UK, following the discovery of eight Albanian migrants on board the vessel in the English Channel.
He was due to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on Friday, following his arrest at sea on Wednesday, the agency said.
Police found seven adults and one child on board the yacht after it was intercepted by a Border Force boat off the coast near Portsmouth, it said.
The seizure of the yacht follows the latest crackdown on illegal migration across the English Channel by small boats from France to Britain.
The two governments agreed in mid October to double patrols on French beaches and intensify efforts to tackle criminal gangs involved in smuggling migrants.
Home Secretary Priti Patel promised to do everything in my power to stop these dangerous Channel crossings, which are putting vulnerable lives at risk.
The British government has increased its focus on illegal migration since the discovery of the bodies of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a refrigerator lorry on Oct 23.
