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Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 12 October 2026

Debate

National Crime Agency: People Smuggling and Drug Dealing

Contribution

One of the things we have to understand about these crime gangs is that illegal immigration into this country has occurred through a number of different routes. Obviously, the Question is focused on boats coming across the channel, but some drug gangs smuggle not only drugs into the country but people underneath trucks as well. Some gangs have been using yachts and other mechanisms. Of course, there has always been that link between illegal migration and drugs, but we need multiple strategies involving international intelligence, as I have seen for myself. When I was in Panama addressing the Organization of American States, we supported the launch of technical boats that can go around the Panama area, which is a pinch point for most of the cocaine coming into this country. We are working globally to address this issue, but we do not see it simply as a matter of having enough police in Cornwall. Obviously, we need police in Cornwall, but the best response we can make is the strong intelligence-gathering exercise that the NCA has been so good at.

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