4,614 individuals have returned to Britain following deportation in the last five years
A British-Albanian criminal network is operating a sophisticated people-smuggling service using luxury superyachts to ferry deported convicts back into the UK, an investigation has revealed.
The gang promotes its services on TikTok and charges £15,500 for passage from the Netherlands to ports near Dover.
Unlike the overcrowded rubber dinghies that cross daily from France, these high-end vessels attract far less attention from authorities.
By docking at smaller marinas, the smugglers circumvent the more rigorous security measures in place at major ports.
The operation specifically targets Albanian nationals who have served prison sentences in Britain before being expelled from the country.
This revelation follows findings that 4,614 deported individuals have managed to re-enter the UK within the past five years.
An undercover reporter responding to the suspicious TikTok advertisement posed as a deported Albanian who had previously been incarcerated at Wandsworth Prison in south-west London.
After initial contact, communications shifted to WhatsApp, with one gang member operating from a UK phone number.
"I've got one seat on the boat today. A big yacht, a luxury one. We only take cash," the smuggler stated in the investigation by The Sun, adding that payment would only be accepted in Albania.
A second gang member, who claimed to have served nearly two years in Doncaster Prison for cocaine dealing before his own deportation, assured the reporter of a "relaxed and secure journey".
He confirmed the vessel would accommodate no more than ten passengers, feature three luxury cabins, and be crewed by Albanian skippers.
The smuggler boasted of recently transporting 11 people to Britain, sharing WhatsApp messages from four former UK prisoners, three of whom feared being deported again.
Concerningly, the gang required a family member to hand over the cash payment at a coffee shop before boarding, with drivers arranged to collect arrivals near Dover and transport them to London.
Official data reveals the scale of the problem: over the past five years, 4,614 individuals have returned to Britain following deportation.
At least 723 of these were removed on two or more occasions, though the Home Office acknowledges actual figures may be higher due to difficulties matching individuals with previous identity checks.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's spokesman for home affairs, condemned the situation, telling The Sun: "While the British public struggles to afford the billions of pounds spent on illegal migration, the people smugglers mock us by flaunting their wealth right under our noses. The Tories turned Britain into a revolving door for illegal migration, and Labour refuses to fix it."
The TikTok account was removed within an hour of being reported, with the platform citing breaches of human trafficking guidelines.
Yacht-based smuggling operations are becoming increasingly common. In May, five men were detained after authorities intercepted a vessel carrying seven people off southern England.
Two Ukrainians, Vladyslav Cherniavskyi and Oleksandr Yavtushenko, received prison sentences of five and six years respectively in March after charging passengers £13,000 each for a premium smuggling service.
Romanians account for the second-highest number of re-entry cases at 767, followed by Afghans at 281, Lithuanians at 233, and Iraqis at 150.
Current statistics indicate that 1,099 of the 53,000 Albanian nationals residing in the UK without citizenship have been imprisoned, with many turning to criminal activity to finance their lifestyles.
Among the most notorious Albanian criminal organisations is the Hellbanianz, a drug-dealing gang based on the Gascoigne Estate in Barking, east London.
The group has openly displayed its wealth through social media, posing with firearms, designer clothing, and expensive vehicles.
Their leaders are believed to have relocated to Dubai, where they continue flaunting their lifestyle in luxury cars.
More than 11,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats this year, with warmer weather potentially increasing numbers.
