# Inside secret warehouse as Germany targets small-boat smuggling gangs

https://mins.news/en/item/24763

- BBC News, 2026-08-18 05:02 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq809zrvqdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

> Germany has conducted its first raids under a new law targeting gangs that help migrants cross the English Channel by small boat. A joint operation with the UK and France seized more than 9,000 life jackets, dozens of dinghies and engines, and 360 pumps in North Rhine-Westphalia. The equipment was assessed as capable of carrying over 2,000 people.

## Related coverage

- [Inside secret police warehouse as Germany targets small-boat smuggling gangs](https://mins.news/en/video/25032) — BBC News, 2026-08-18