In brief
German police stunned a covert warehouse in North Rhine‑Westphalia, uncovering more than 9,000 bright‑orange life jackets, dozens of 9‑metre dinghies and a fleet of engines and pumps. The haul could have been used to ferry over 2,000 migrants across the English Channel, the National Crime Agency estimates. This operation represents the first enforcement under a new German law that makes it a crime to help smuggle people into the UK. The raid underscores how smuggling networks move equipment through Germany to launch attacks from northern France. Authorities say the crackdown is part of a growing police partnership with the UK to curb the surge of illegal crossings.
German police raided a secret warehouse in North Rhine‑Westphalia, uncovering a glittering pile of over 9,000 bright‑orange life jackets, dozens of 9‑metre dinghies and a fleet of engines and pumps.
The haul could have been used to ferry more than 2,000 migrants across the English Channel, the National Crime Agency estimates, with each dinghy holding up to 65 people.
This operation marks the first enforcement under a new German law that makes it a crime to facilitate smuggling into the UK, a move that follows a BBC investigation into the country’s role in the small‑boat supply chain.
Smuggling networks draw equipment from Turkey to Germany, then to northern France, where crowds launch illegal crossings. The warehouse contents were almost untouched, providing investigators a snapshot of the logistics behind the movement.
Legal experts note the law remains largely untested, but it signals a shift toward tighter cooperation with UK authorities, who report a 43% decline in Channel crossings since January.
