POLICE SEIZE IMMIGRANTS

From the archive, first published Tuesday 24th Apr 2001.

POLICE today smashed the UK's biggest illegal immigration ring in a series of dawn raids in Southampton.

Hundreds of officers swooped on 28 addresses and arrested 18 people they believe to be behind the racket, mostly Poles, and about 100 immigrants.

Hampshire police and immigration officials raided the homes of suspects and stopped vans carrying farm and factory workers.

The arrests, which involved 250 police officers and 42 immigrations officials, are the result of an operation - codenamed Leighton - lasting several months led by the county force, with support from organisations including the Metropolitan Police.

The ringleaders had lured impoverished eastern Europeans to the country with false promises and forced them to live in appalling conditions, police say.

Up to 30 immigrants lived together in each semi-detached house with no heating or hot water in Newtown and Nicholstown.

Everyone arrested - mostly Polish males - were today being questioned at police stations around Hampshire.

The immigrants are being advised to leave the country or face arrest and deportation.

Hampshire assistant chief constable Colin Smith said the aim of the operation was humanitarian as well as criminal.

He said: "The key issue is that organised immigration crime is fast becoming a national priority second only to class A drugs in respect of serious organised crime.

"It is about the pursuit of major crimes exploiting through human trafficking the economic disparities between the relatively affluent UK and other developing parts of Europe.

"However, many of the people who were detained today are victims of human trafficking and are law abiding, decent people.

"While police are pursuing crime elements, the Immigration Service is arranging a return to their homeland, from which they were lured with false promises."

Community leaders in the city have welcomed the operation.

John Roath, community support and welfare rights officer, said: "We have sympathy with asylum seekers.

"But this area is being bombarded by them and it seems all ethnic minorities are accumulating here.

"We do not want a return to drugs and prostitution which the community and the police have worked so hard to remove."

Residents today expressed their shock at the arrests.

Valerie Smith, 44, of Derby Road, said: "I opened the curtains when I woke up this morning and saw all these police outside.

"I saw at least 12 and there were more inside some of the houses.

"I saw them take out at least five women and six men, all carrying bags with them. It's a worry, the fact there are so many people here that maybe shouldn't be here."

Ric Wareham, 24, of James Street, said: "There has definitely been more people about here from Europe since last summer. I do feel sorry for them though.

The Immigration Service is handing out leaflets in Polish and Russian in the community, urging immigrants to visit Crime Concern, at 128a St Mary's Street, between tomorrow and Friday to speak to officials.

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