Tag: Border Force

Border Force: don’t let drug smugglers steal your future

Expert officers share top tips to keep young travellers safe this summer holiday season as criminals approach young people to smuggle drugs

Young people heading abroad this summer are being warned not to risk their futures by being lured into accepting a ‘free holiday’.  

Criminal gangs are using popular social media platforms to groom young people into smuggling cannabis into the UK.  

Ahead of the peak summer holiday season, Border Force has shared its top 5 tips to avoid being ensnared by smugglers.   

Seduced by the offer of free luxury holidays, business class flights and easy spending money, too many young Brits are falling into the trap of organised crime.   

The number of cannabis smugglers caught arriving in the UK by plane has surged from 142 in 2023 to 976 in 2025.

And 2026 is on track to be even worse, with 600 air passenger couriers arrested at UK airports in the first 6 months alone – with men aged 18 to 37 travelling from Thailand making up the largest group of those arrested.   

Criminal networks are specifically targeting school and university leavers, first-time travellers and those tempted by offers of cheap or free holidays from so-called friends, exploiting their inexperience and lack of awareness of the risks. 

As part of a stepped-up awareness campaign across UK airports, Border Force officers are directly warning travellers about the warning signs of criminal exploitation ahead of the busy summer holiday season.  

Border Force’s top 5 tips: 

  1. Refuse “free” holidays, flights or luxury accommodation, particularly to countries where cannabis is legal, such as Thailand, Canada, and parts of the United States. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  
  2. Know what’s in your bag. Never travel with a bag that is not yours, and if someone tells you not to look inside your luggage, treat it as a major warning sign. If drugs are found in your bag, even if you didn’t put them there, you could face arrest, prosecution, and a criminal record.  
  3. Beware of social media approaches. Criminal gangs use platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to target young people. Resist their approaches as it risks a lifetime of painful consequences. Delete and block. 
  4. Keep hold of your passport and personal documents at all times. Criminal gangs may ask to take it from you, claiming it is part of a travel arrangement, but it can be a tactic to control and manipulate people, including checking in suitcases in their name. If someone wants to hold onto your passport for you, treat it as a serious red flag. 
  5. Cannabis is not legal. Criminal gangs may try to convince you that because cannabis is legal where you are travelling, it is acceptable or low risk to bring it back to the UK. It is not. International drug smuggling is a serious criminal offence that can result in imprisonment at home and abroad.  

Kate Goldstone, Border Force Lead Officer for Safeguarding, said: “Organised criminal gangs are exploiting young people for profit – living it up while leaving their courier victims facing lifetime consequences.  

“Our message to young travellers is simple. If an offer feels too good to be true, it probably is. 

“A single decision made before a holiday could lead to a criminal record, a prison sentence and years of lost opportunities.”

Border Force is warning that, regardless of how someone became involved, anyone caught smuggling cannabis could face arrest, prosecution, a criminal record, up to 14 years behind bars and restrictions on future travel, potentially damaging future employment, education, and life opportunities. 

Border Force’s cannabis seizures are now at a record high, increasing by 50% in the last year. UK law enforcement seized 2.1 tonnes of cannabis from air passengers in 2022, rising to more than 28 tonnes in 2025. 

While Thailand has been a particular focus, Border Force is warning that gangs can operate wherever cannabis is legal or more easily available, including countries such as Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe. 

The warning comes as a joint UK-Thailand crackdown on cannabis smuggling comes into force, with Brits caught attempting to smuggle cannabis from Thailand facing average fines of around £17,700 or up to 2 years in prison. 

Anyone approached about carrying cannabis or other illegal drugs should report it to local authorities, consular services, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Young Brits warned of dangers of modern slavery abroad

Young people travelling to popular holiday destinations to work in bars and clubs have been given advice on the dangers of labour exploitation

Thousands of young people travelling to popular holiday destinations including Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca to work in bars and clubs have been given advice on the dangers of labour exploitation.

Border Force officers have been running Operation Karetu at 22 airports across the UK, targeting young people travelling to work in Mediterranean destinations who could be at risk of exploitation, criminality and illegal working.

The month long operation has so far seen officers engage with over 1,000 young Brits, providing them with leaflets and guidance on how to avoid the risks involved as unofficial public relations (PR) reps – work that involves touting people into clubs and bars.

Young holidaymakers who travel abroad every year to work in the hospitality industry risk being forced to work long hours for low wages. Risks include working illegally due to a lack of knowledge about EU employment regulations or being exploited by serious organised criminal gangs. 

Operation Karetu was initially launched in 2018 amid concerns over the welfare of young British nationals being exposed to different types of exploitation particularly labour and sexual exploitation. The Operation has had significant success and since 2022 there have been zero cases of labour exploitation reported to the British Consular in the Balearics.

However, many cases of Labour exploitation go undetected, and Border Force continue to run Operation Karetu every year as an important preventative operation to protect young people.

Home Office Minister, Seema Malhotra said: “Travelling abroad for a summer in the sun is an exciting prospect for thousands of young people across the country, but it’s important they’re able to do that safely.

“Operation Karetu is just one example of Border Force’s work to protect the British public, ensuring young people are kept safe from unscrupulous employers.”

This year’s operation was specifically targeting the Balearic Islands, which includes popular tourist destinations such as Ibiza, Majorca, and Menorca.

The operation began on 17 June and is running until 19 July this year, and is carried out in partnership with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the modern slavery charity, Unseen, and British embassies abroad.

Border Force carries out Operation Karetu annually as part of its Prevent and Protect strategies, to end involvement in exploitation and strengthen safeguards by protecting individuals, organisations and systems.    

Key advice from Border Force officers to people considering working abroad are:  

  1. Working while a tourist in the EU is illegal. If you are not an EU national or legally resident in the EU, you need a job offer, work permit and visa. More information is available on Travelling to the EU and Schengen area – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
  2. Check you have a visa and a contract before starting your job.  
  3. Ask about accommodation and find out the rent/costs. Do this before accepting accommodation as part of a job offer.  
  4. Keep hold of your passport at all times. If it is taken, report it to police. You can contact the local British Consulate for help and advice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

The Border Force operation is supported by modern slavery charity Unseen, who operate the Modern Slavery Helpline. Anyone feeling vulnerable about their work or finances can contact the Modern Slavery Helpline, in confidence, on 08000 121 700. 

The operation is just one part of the work Border Force carries out to address modern slavery and trafficking. All front-line Border Force officers are trained to identify signs of modern slavery and make the necessary referrals. 

Jail for van driver who smuggled children as young as one year old

Fourteen migrants, including 4 children, were found hidden behind cardboard boxes in a van

A British man who tried to smuggle migrant children as young as 1 into the UK by hiding them behind boxes in his van has been jailed for 4 years.

Trevor Saker, 44, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday (July 27), after being found guilty of attempting to facilitate the entry of 14 migrants into the UK.

Saker had claimed to Border Force officers that he was travelling back to the UK from France after collecting shoes for his wife’s new business.

He was caught following an investigation by the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) Unit.

The defendant, who now resides in Cadiz, Spain, was driving a Vauxhall Vivaro rental van when he was stopped by Border Force officers in the UK Control Zone in Coquelles, France in July 2018.

Officers found 14 illegal migrants in the back of the van, hidden behind cardboard boxes.

The migrants were identified as being Iraqi and Albanian nationals. Among the group were 4 children aged 1 to 6 years old.

The defendant was found guilty of assisting unlawful immigration following a thorough investigation and subsequent trial.

Chris Foster, Deputy Director of Criminal and Financial Investigations at the Home Office, said: “This defendant showed no regard for the safety of 14 people including children as young as 1, in order to line his pocket.

“He has now been brought to justice, and this sentence sends a message that our officers are working night and day to tackle people smuggling and to ensure those responsible get the punishment they deserve.”