A 33-year-old has been arrested as part of a major UK-Belgian investigation into people smuggling.

Yesterday, Wednesday, June 20, Kujdesi Dauti, from Hornchurch, was detained on a European arrest warrant at the East 10 Enterprise Park in Lea Valley, London, by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

In the early hours of this morning, Thursday, June 21, Sabah Zeka, 34, from Bromley, was also arrested as he arrived into Gatwick Airport on a flight from Tirana.

Both men will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court later today, where they will face extradition to Belgium on people smuggling charges.

The arrests were part of a joint NCA-Belgian Federal Police investigation into a crime group thought to be using corrupt truck drivers to smuggle men, women and children into the UK, picking up migrants in Belgium and transporting them via the Channel ports.

Ten other people had also been previously arrested in connection with the same investigation in Belgium France and Spain.