Men charged with people smuggling

Police swooped in addresses in London and Lincolnshire

Seven men arrested after dawn raids on Tuesday have been charged with conspiring to smuggle people into the UK, police say.

Six of the men have also been charged with money laundering.

Nineteen people were arrested after raids in London and Lincolnshire to smash an alleged multi-million pound people-smuggling racket.

Six were released to the Immigration Service, a further four were freed on bail and two face no further action.

Pan-European operation

Eighteen people were arrested in raids on 12 residential and business addresses in London and a 19th man was held at a residential address in Boston, Lincolnshire.

More than 200 officers were involved in the London raids.

Operation Bluesky involved officers from six European countries.

Detectives from Italy, Holland, France, Belgium and Denmark have all taken part along with the Metropolitan Police.

Conspiracy charges

The six men charged with conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into Britain and money laundering are:

• Ali Riza Gun, 47, of Crocus Fields, Barnet, north London

• Ramazan Zorlu, 42, of Bellegrove, Welling, Kent

• Hassan Eroglu, 47, of Trafford House, Cranston Estate, north London

• Yusef Turkman, 35, of Autumn Close, Enfield, north London

• Oruc Gecsoyler, 39, of Victoria Road, Edmonton, north London

• Selahattin Sahin, 42, of Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush, west London

Ismail Balta, 48, of Cherry Blossom Close, Enfield, was charged with conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry.

All seven were due to appear before Croydon magistrates on Thursday.