A Polish lorry driver has been arrested and charged with people smuggling offenses as part of an ongoing investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into an organized crime group suspected of smuggling migrants into the UK. Robert Miroslaw Wojcik, a 48-year-old from Warsaw, was apprehended by NCA officers upon his arrival at the port of Dover on Tuesday. The operation was supported by Border Force.

Wojcik is accused of participating in an attempt to transport migrants to the UK in a truck in November 2022. Following questioning by NCA officers, he has been charged with facilitating illegal immigration. He is scheduled to appear before Folkestone Magistrates later today.

Mark Howes, the NCA Branch Commander, emphasized that tackling people smuggling is a top priority for the agency. This particular investigation is one of approximately 90 ongoing cases into criminal networks involved in this illicit activity. Howes stressed that people smuggling gangs endanger lives in pursuit of profit, and the NCA is committed to disrupting and dismantling these criminal networks.