Suspected Channel people smuggler shot in his sleep in French migrant camp
A suspected Channel people smuggler is critically ill in hospital after being shot in their sleep at a French migrant camp. The perpetrator is being sought by police.
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A suspected Channel smuggler who was shot in their sleep in a French migrant camp is critically ill in hospital after surviving the incident. The attacker is being sought by police.
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The incident occurred at about 5.30 am on Tuesday.
The injured man is believed to be of Kurdish origin and in his 30s. He's not been identified by the authorities.
Police investigating the case believe that the smuggler was most likely attacked by a rival gang that operates small boat crossings.
No arrests have been made so far by the police.
The incident took place at Loon-Plage, a sprawling makeshift camp near Dunkirk.
Investigating officers claimed the circumstances of the incident were still unclear.
However, The Times reported a source who regularly visits the camp describing a prominent Kurdish people smuggler who was recently released from prison had been in the camp in recent days.
The source told the publication: “He wants to get back control because when he was in prison another mafia took control.”
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Sébastien Piève, the local prosecutor, said: “The inquiry is especially complicated as it always is when undocumented people are involved and there are people smugglers in the equation.
“It is complicated to gain co-operation from people who are not legally here.”
According to the report, the cases of violence in the camps have increased over the past two years as Channel crossings have become increasingly profitable.
A crossing typically costs about £3,500 and an analysis of French police figures by the Labour Party last month calculated that smugglers made £183 million from small boat crossings last year.
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More than 2,500 migrants have crossed the Channel by small boats so far this year, almost half of them in the first two weeks of this month under calmer weather.
On Tuesday as five boats carrying 204 people were intercepted by Border Force in UK waters.
In May last year an Iraqi man was killed and several others injured after a fight broke about in the camps.
In September several Sudanese migrants at the Loon-Plage camp were injured after another bout of violence.
