Smuggling gangs are using large, Chinese-made vessels to transport migrants to Britain in high numbers, according to reporting. The ships, described as “monster vessels,” are capable of carrying hundreds of people per trip, while the gangs reportedly pay relatively low prices to acquire or source them.
The Daily Mail reports that the vessels can be obtained online for about £1,416, with an estimated cost of roughly £6 per passenger. At the same time, migrants are described as paying smugglers as much as £2,000 each for passage. The article frames these economics as contributing to large profits for the criminal networks that operate the routes.
Across coverage, the emphasis is on the scale of the crossings and the business model behind them: high passenger volumes supported by lower upfront vessel costs and higher payments collected from migrants. The reported figures come from the outlet’s cost estimates and comparisons, rather than being attributed to a single independent accounting source in the provided text.
