Home Secretary Yvette Burnham says the National Crime Agency (NCA) has boosted the number of officers working to tackle organised immigration crime, including small-boat smuggling gangs. Both outlets report that, since the start of 2025, the number of NCA officers involved in this work has increased to more than double compared with earlier levels.
The reporting frames the change as an operational expansion aimed at disrupting organised criminal networks responsible for facilitating illegal immigration, particularly via small boat routes. The NCA officers are described as focusing on organised immigration crime as part of broader efforts to target the criminal groups behind these activities rather than only individual cases.
Neither outlet provides further detailed figures beyond the “more than doubled” description, nor does the reporting include specific performance outcomes, arrest numbers, or estimates of smuggling activity. The common emphasis is on the staffing increase and its intended role in strengthening enforcement against smuggling gangs during 2025.
