British police launch raids to smash gang of people traffickers

British police on Tuesday arrested more than 20 people around the country in a big operation to tackle a Kurdish gang smuggling hundreds of illegal immigrants into the United Kingdom for up to 10,000 pounds (some 13,860 U.S. dollars) per head.

The National Crime Agency, often called "Britain's FBI," began one of its largest operations in five years, involving 350 officers in the raids in London, Northumbria, Cleveland and Susses, on Tuesday morning.

They targeted 20 addresses and visited car washes to monitor activity following a year-long investigation with links to the French, Belgian and Dutch authorities.

At least 16 people were arrested in Teesside, two in London, two in Hastings, Sussex and one in Northumbria. All of those detained have been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences and money laundering.

Senior Investigating Officer Mark Spoors said all of the agency's targets had been arrested.

"We believe we have identified and disrupted a significant network which is suspected of smuggling hundreds of migrants into the UK and planned to carry on going," Spoors said.