113 quizzed after immigration swoop

From the archive, first published Wednesday 25th Apr 2001.

A TOTAL of 113 people were still being quizzed in Hampshire cellblocks today after police in Southampton smashed Britain's biggest illegal immigration ring.

Police were continuing to interview 18 people believed to be the ringleaders of the racket, along with 95 suspected immigrants.

All were arrested in a series of dawn raids at 28 addresses in Southampton's inner city yesterday following Operation Leighton, a carefully-planned swoop involving Hampshire police, immigration officials, the Metropolitan police and the National Crime Intelligence Service.

Today, Hampshire police spokeswoman Pauline Davey confirmed 73 men and 22 women, aged from 20 to 55, had been arrested for either entering the UK illegally or working without authority.

Most were from Poland but others came from Latvia, Lithuania and Afghanistan. All would be processed by the Immigration Service.

A further 18 people - two women and 16 men, all aged between 23 and 46 - were still being questioned on suspicion of facilitating the entry of people into the UK. The suspected ringleaders come from Poland, Russia, India, Pakistan and Britain.

Bright future that led to slavery - see pages eight and nine of today's Daily Echo

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