Sheffield targeted in major crackdown on huge illegal immigration gang

Officers carried out raids across the country, including in Sheffield, Cheltenham, Manchester, Nottingham and Bradford, in the early hours of Tuesday June 3.

Six people – five men and one woman – were arrested during the operation.

The main suspect, a 37-year-old man from Botswana, was arrested in Cheltenham.

He is believed to be the leader of a criminal network that brought over 200 people from Botswana into the UK illegally over the past two years.

In Sheffield, officers arrested one individual thought to be connected to the gang.

Authorities suspect the group used the city as one of its bases for illegal operations, including arranging jobs in care homes without proper training or qualifications.

Once inside the UK, victims were allegedly encouraged to submit false asylum applications using fake documents.

It is believed the group helped the migrants get illegal jobs, particularly in care work - looking after vulnerable people without any medical training.

The investigation also revealed that many of the victims were promised a better life, only to be forced into unpaid work and harsh conditions once they arrived.

Many were trapped in a cycle of debt bondage – where gangs demand high repayments for their journey to England, keeping them under control with an excessive debt they may never be able to pay off.

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These arrests come as part of the government’s wider Plan for Change to tackle illegal immigration and crack down on criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people for profit.

Security minister Dan Jarvis praised the police and immigration teams involved, saying: “Their tireless efforts have disrupted criminal networks that profit from exploiting vulnerable individuals and undermining our immigration system.”

The government says it has returned nearly 30,000 people with no legal right to be in the UK since the last election and that illegal working arrests are up by over 40 per cent.

The government has also promised to strengthen the UK’s immigration system with new laws.

These include counter-terror-style powers to break up criminal gangs before they act, and tougher penalties for those who sponsor migrants illegally.

Jarvis adds: “This operation demonstrates that we will use the full force of the law against those who facilitate illegal entry into the UK for exploitation.”

The government also says it is tightening visa rules and reducing dependence on overseas workers, especially in care roles.

New rules mean care providers in England must focus on hiring international workers who are already in the UK, rather than bringing in new arrivals.

Authorities are urging the public to stay alert and report any suspicions of illegal working or exploitation

Phillip Parr, who leads the Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations team, said: “There is no place for those who profit from human misery, and we will continue to use all available powers to pursue and prosecute those involved in these despicable crimes.”