Sir Keir Starmer has said the arrest of a 44-year-old Turkish man suspected of being a supplier of small boats was a “significant piece of the jigsaw” in tackling Channel migrant crossings but “I’m not pretending it’s the silver bullet”.
The suspect was detained at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam on Wednesday after a joint investigation by Dutch and Belgian authorities and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
He is suspected of shipping dinghies and engines from Turkey and storing them in Germany, before they are moved to northern France for crossings.
Equipment alleged to have been supplied to people smugglers has been seized (NCA/PA)
The man is facing extradition to Belgium over charges of human smuggling, the spokesman added.
The Prime Minister has put international co-operation with law enforcement agencies in Europe at the heart of his efforts to cut small boat crossings.
So far this year more than 32,000 people have arrived in the UK having made the journey across the English Channel by boat, according to Home Office figures.