Dutch police arrest suspected supplier of small boats to human traffickers

The Hague: Dutch police have arrested a suspected major supplier of small boats to human traffickers in Belgium and northern France, used to smuggle people across the Channel to the United Kingdom, the European justice body Eurojust said in a statement on Thursday.

A 44-year-old Turkish national was arrested on Wednesday after arriving at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, Eurojust said, adding that the suspect is due to be extradited to Belgium to face charges of being involved in human trafficking as part of a criminal organisation.

The arrest was made in cooperation with the Belgian and British police and European Justice and police organisations Eurojust and Europol. According to Eurojust, the suspect supplied small boats and engines to human smugglers in Belgium and northern France.

The Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. This year alone more than 50 people have died attempting to cross. More than 1,300 people have arrived in Britain on small boats over the past seven days, according to UK government figures.