German authorities have conducted their initial raids under a new law aimed at disrupting smugglers who use Germany as a base for small boat crossings of the English Channel. This spring, a joint operation involving the UK, France, and Germany in the North Rhine-Westphalia region led to the seizure of more than 9,000 life jackets, dozens of dinghies and engines, and 360 pumps.
The seized equipment is currently stored at an undisclosed police location in western Germany. The UK's National Crime Agency estimates that these boats could have illegally transported over 2,000 migrants across the Channel.
Germany's Interior Ministry confirmed these raids represent the first enforcement actions taken under the new law, which was passed last December. This legislation specifically criminalises facilitating migrant smuggling to the UK, a change from previous laws that primarily applied to EU nations.
British investigators believe Kurdish criminal networks largely control the small boats business in western Germany, a region identified as a hub for migrants. Local prosecutors have noted that the amended legal provision in Germany is largely untested.