00:00Almost 70 inflatable boats have been seized at the Kapitan Andrivo border checkpoint in Bulgaria since the beginning of this year.
00:09For the second year in a row now, Bulgarian customs officers, at the request of the United Kingdom, have been stopping inflatable boats at the border with Turkey.
00:18Those boats are used for trafficking illegal migrants across the English Channel.
00:30The boats are often delivered in multiple shipments, carrying different parts, and are then assembled together by the receiver.
01:00Bulgarian authorities say the boats are produced in Turkey by unknown companies and are used for the sole purpose of migrant trafficking.
01:09In 2024, nearly 37,000 people arrived in the UK using these boats.
01:15In a bid to control the influx of immigrants, London is funding Bulgarian authorities to increase the odds of those boats being captured before they ever hit the sea.
01:24In addition to that, we have provided 600,000 lbs in equipment, instruments, endoscopes, gas analyzers, equipment, etc.
01:39Bulgarian customs officers say their cooperation with the UK has saved thousands of migrant lives, who tragically die each year, while attempting to cross the channel.
01:49A UK analysis says Sofia's work has also enabled them to inflict over 18 million euros in damages on organized crime groups.
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