Over 8,000 social media accounts removed in fight against people smuggling
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported a significant increase in its crackdown on social media accounts linked to people smuggling, with over 8,000 accounts taken down during 2024—a 40% rise compared to 2023.
The agency’s social media action plan, launched in collaboration with Meta, TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), and YouTube in December 2021, has led to the removal of more than 16,500 accounts since its inception.
These accounts were used by organised criminal networks to promote illegal services such as dangerous small boat crossings, fake ID document sales, and transport routes across Africa and Europe.
Among the posts removed were advertisements falsely presenting small boat crossings from France to the UK as safer journeys via speedboat and posts offering prizes for migrants who referred others to smugglers.
Criminals also used social media to offer fraudulent transport and ID services.
Sophie Austin, Operations Manager at the NCA’s Online Communication Centre, explained the importance of tackling these online activities. She said: “Social media remains a key way the organised crime groups involved in people smuggling promote their illegal services to migrants. It is a major part of their business model.
“Once migrants are engaged, they then move conversations onto encrypted messaging apps where they are hidden from law enforcement.
“Taking down these accounts disrupts the activities of those criminal networks. We are devoting more resources to doing that as it is one of a number of ways we can actively target them and make their life more difficult.
“Our partnership with social media platforms has seen a significant increase in the number of accounts we have identified and taken down in the last year – up more than 40 per cent since the end of 2023.”
High-profile Convictions
The NCA’s actions extend beyond account takedowns, with investigations targeting individuals using social media to promote people smuggling services.
Among those convicted was Amanj Hasan Zada from Preston, who was jailed for 17 years in November 2024. Zada used video testimonials from migrants he had smuggled to market his services.
In a separate case, two men from Caerphilly, South Wales—Dilshad Shamo and Ali Khdir—were convicted in November for operating a people smuggling enterprise via social media. They are awaiting sentencing.
The NCA’s action plan with social media platforms has fostered greater collaboration, enhancing the ability to identify and disrupt criminal activity online.
A more streamlined communication system has enabled faster referrals and a shared understanding of threats posed by organised immigration crime.
The agency continues to prioritise tackling people smuggling by targeting networks’ social media presence, financial operations, and supply routes for maritime equipment used in illegal crossings.
