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

https://mins.news/en/video/25032

- BBC News, 2026-08-18 10:42 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-sUZ6e3RpI

> Germany has conducted its first raids under a new law targeting smugglers who use the country as a base for small-boat crossings to the English Channel. A joint UK-French-German operation in North Rhine-Westphalia this spring seized more than 9,000 life jackets, dozens of dinghies and engines, and 360 pumps. The equipment is being held at a secret site in western Germany.

## Related coverage

- [Footage shows French police clash with people trying to leave beach in small boat](https://mins.news/en/item/28131) — The Guardian, 2026-08-21
- [Inside secret warehouse as Germany targets small-boat smuggling gangs](https://mins.news/en/item/24763) — BBC News, 2026-08-18