Bournemouth, Crime | Posted on November 10th, 2025 | return to news

People smugglers arrested in Southbourne

A joint operation targeting people traffickers saw three men arrested, two in Southbourne Grove in Bournemouth.

A Bournemouth man was one of three people arrested as part of an investigation into people smuggling from Belgium to the UK.

It was all part of a joint operation between the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) and Belgian law enforcement.

At around 2pm on 5 November, two men were arrested by officers from SWROCU, supported by Dorset Police, on suspicion of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration into the UK.

The 33-year-old Ibrahim Sollaku from Southampton and a 55-year-old from Bournemouth were arrested near Southbourne Grove in Bournemouth. The Bournemouth man has been released on police bail.

Sollaku was further arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs after suspected cocaine and amphetamine were seized from his home. He has been charged with conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration into the UK and possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

At the same time, a man in Belgium was arrested and five men believed to be intending to travel by lorry to the UK were stopped.

Det Supt Kevin Till, head of SWROCU, said: “Criminals involved in organised immigration crime see migrants as nothing more than money-making commodities. The high price tags they charge to facilitate their illegal journeys help to strengthen their criminal networks, causing yet more harm to our communities, often through drug supply and exploiting vulnerable people.

“The more information we have to help identify suspects and potential victims, the more we can target the networks behind it.”

This operation was supported by the National Crime Agency’s international network and Dorset Police.

If you see something that doesn’t look right, report it to your local force online or by calling 101. In an emergency, call 999. You can also report via the Home Office endorsed charity, Stop the Traffik. Or you can report to Crimestoppers anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 11.