Key points:
- PSNI took part in Operation Lockstream, a UK-wide crackdown on criminal use of roads, rail and ports.
- Between 21 and 27 September, officers engaged with over 400 people and searched 141 vehicles in Northern Ireland.
- More than £170,000 in cash was found hidden in one vehicle in Belfast. The driver was charged.
- Across the UK, police stopped over 6,000 vehicles, seized 491 and made 452 arrests.
- Police say the work continues year-round.
Checks in Fermanagh, Belfast, Cushendall and Newry
According to the PSNI, detectives from its Organised Crime Branch worked with HMRC on several intelligence-led actions:
- 25–27 August: officers searched six commercial premises in Fermanagh and engaged with hundreds of people and vehicles. One person was reported for driving offences and HMRC seized suspected illicit fuel.
- 21–27 September: officers engaged with over 400 people and searched 141 vehicles across Northern Ireland. A 19-year-old man was arrested in Belfast for illegal entry into the UK.
- 30 September: two properties were searched in Cushendall. Officers seized almost £50,000 in cash, 35 kg of rolling tobacco, 2,400 cigarettes and five mobile phones.
- 19 October: further searches took place in Newry.
Cash hidden inside a vehicle
The largest seizure came during a vehicle search in Belfast, carried out together with the National Crime Agency. Officers found more than £170,000 in cash hidden inside the vehicle. A 36-year-old man was charged with possession of criminal property and appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on 25 September.
Detective Chief Inspector Shaw said officers “targeted criminal haulier networks who exploit the Common Travel Area for their own financial gain”.
He added that organised crime groups “look for every opportunity to exploit potential weaknesses in the Common Travel Area and transport networks”, and that police work “continues year-round”.
452 arrests across the UK
Lockstream was a UK-wide operation, led by the Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce. According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, between 21 September and 5 October:
- 49 police forces and agencies took part in 387 deployments,
- over 6,000 vehicles were stopped and over 11,000 people engaged with,
- 452 arrests were made, 66% for immigration offences,
- 491 vehicles were seized, 79% of them cars and vans,
- over £600,000 in cash, over 17,000 cigarette packs and 22 weapons were seized,
- over 900 police fines worth more than £141,000 were issued.
Deputy Chief Constable Wendy Gunney said: “We know through shared intelligence that our roads, rail and port networks are being exploited by criminals as they transport people and goods across the UK.” Border Security Minister Anna Turley said the action is part of “the largest crackdown on people-smuggling gangs on record”.
What it means for hauliers
For legitimate operators running between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland, this means more roadside and premises checks. Police ask anyone with information about suspected organised crime to call 101 or report anonymously to Crimestoppers.
Hauliers crossing the Irish Sea should also keep up with paperwork. As trans.info reported, there is a new customs platform for GB–Northern Ireland movements. In England, police in Yorkshire are also targeting HGV gangs behind cargo theft.
