By Karim Hammam
A 29-year-old Afghan national has been arrested in Brent, north-west London, on suspicion of advertising illegal crossings from the UK to Europe via a TikTok account, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
The man was arrested on Tuesday and has since been bailed pending further inquiries.
The NCA said the TikTok account advertised crossings to France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany, which is an offence under Section 17 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 that came into force in February 2026.
"Tackling organised immigration crime remains a top priority for the National Crime Agency, and we are doing all we can to disrupt and dismantle those networks involved," NCA senior investigating officer Martin Matthews said. "This includes targeting the use of online platforms to advertise suspected illegal crossings."
