Crossmaglen: Man arrested over discovery of 10 migrants in lorry

Image source, NCA

Image caption, The migrants were rescue as a result of information received from the UK's National Crime Agency

A man from Northern Ireland has been arrested over alleged people smuggling after 10 migrants were rescued from the back of a lorry in Belgium.

The rescue took place in March 2020 when the 10 people were found in the vehicle which was transporting tyres.

The 32-year-old man was detained in Crossmaglen, County Armagh on Friday.

He is to be questioned on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration as part of an international investigation involving UK and Belgian authorities.

The migrants were discovered as a result of information received from the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA).

Three other people were arrested earlier in the NCA operation, including two Irish nationals who were detained in Dover and a man who was detained County Antrim.

Friday's NCA arrest was supported by officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

"This arrest is a significant development in what has been a long and complex investigation involving international partners," said NCA's Belfast branch commander David Cunningham.

"Tackling people smugglers is a priority for the NCA, and we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved in this type of exploitative crime."