A Gambian national has been arrested in the United Kingdom on Tuesday in a major crackdown on a multi-million-pound human trafficking and money laundering network.
The early-morning operation, dubbed Operation Bayburn, was launched after months of undercover investigation by UK authorities, triggered by the discovery of a doctored passport at Manchester Airport.
The 30-year-old suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken into custody during a coordinated raid in Batley, West Yorkshire. Authorities believe he played a key role in laundering over £3 million for an international organised crime group that trafficked vulnerable migrants into the UK under false pretences.
According to investigators, the group used tampered passports often genuine documents with altered photos to smuggle people into the country. Once in the UK, many of the victims were subjected to modern-day slavery, forced into exploitative jobs or unsafe conditions.
The Gambian man, nicknamed “Suspect Alpha” by UK officers, was said to be living quietly in a terraced house and working in a local furniture business. On Tuesday morning, a team of officers from West Yorkshire Police and Home Office Immigration, supported by a specially trained cash-sniffing dog named Gilbert, stormed the property just after 6am using a steel battering ram nicknamed “The Enforcer.”
Inside the house, officers found a newborn baby and a 12-year-old child, whose safety was ensured before the search continued. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and exploitation and taken to a local police station for questioning.
Authorities say he is part of a wider network that may have trafficked hundreds of people into the UK. Seven others were arrested in coordinated raids across Yorkshire and Essex, and searches continued for passports, forged documents, mobile phones, and cash.
Phillip Parr, lead officer from UK Immigration Enforcement, said: “These victims came here hoping for a better life, but what they found was exploitation and abuse. This gang preyed on the vulnerable and made millions from their suffering. That ends now.”
UK Minister for Border Security, Dame Angela Eagle, said the government is investing heavily to crack down on such criminal groups. “This is a clear message to traffickers: the UK will not tolerate the abuse of its immigration system. We are going after you.”
The Medaille Trust, a UK-based anti-slavery charity, said it was working with the Home Office to support victims found during the raids.
