Zeebrugge (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – An international operation on November 5, 2025, led to 3 arrests in Zeebrugge and the UK; 5 Albanian migrants were rescued, and the 43-year-old Ukrainian driver is charged.
As VRT News reported, an international police operation has led to 3 arrests in a case of human smuggling linked to the port of Zeebrugge. The coordinated action involved the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) in the United Kingdom and the West Flanders Federal Judicial Police (FGP) in Belgium.
The operation took place on November 5, 2025, with support from special units and the maritime police. During the operation, officers searched a truck in the port and found 5 Albanian men hidden in the back. The migrants, aged 25 to 39, were safely removed and given medical attention.
The 43-year-old Ukrainian driver was arrested at the scene. Police said the men were victims of human smuggling and had been transported in unsafe conditions. His arrest was confirmed by the presiding judge earlier today, Nov 10, 2025. The West Flanders Federal Judicial Police are continuing the investigation under the supervision of the Bruges investigating judge.
Who was arrested in Zeebrugge and the UK during the human smuggling raid?
At the same time, British police made 2 more arrests connected to the same case. Investigators believe the suspects are part of a network moving migrants from mainland Europe to the United Kingdom.
The operation targeted a route used to move people illegally through ports under dangerous circumstances. Officials from both countries called the arrests a major step in the fight against human smuggling.
On the same day as the police action in Zeebrugge, 2 men were arrested in the United Kingdom in connection with the human smuggling case. A 33-year-old man from Southampton and a 55-year-old man from Bournemouth were taken into custody near Southbourne Grove in Bournemouth. The arrests were carried out by British officers who had been working closely with Belgian investigators.
Police say the 2 suspects are believed to have played a role in arranging or supporting the transport of migrants from Belgium to the UK.
The probe into the smuggling organisation began in February 2025, when police in Belgium and the United Kingdom monitored domestic truck movements from Zeebrugge to ports in southern England.
In March 2025, the West Flanders Federal Judicial Police (FGP) and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) collaborated to establish how migrants were being illegally moved across the English Channel.
Over months, investigators tracked transport routes, examined communications, and discovered further information regarding suspects operating in both countries. By September 2025, officers had identified persons of interest in each jurisdiction.
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