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Beefing up our borders
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| Dock visit Immigration Minister Liam Byrne, left, is shown around by Revenue and Customs officer Brodie Clark |
IMMIGRATION minister Liam Byrne has warned smugglers they will be hit hard by new border patrols.
Mr Byrne visited Tilbury Docks to meet officers from HM Revenue and Customs and the border and Immigration agency who, from April, will join forces as the UK Border Agency.
He said: "I came to the docks to find out from staff how the two organisations are beginning to work more closely together.
"Our single border force with new police powers is the public face of the biggest shake-up of Britain's border security and protecting London's goods and freight lifeline, the Thames.
"Criminals don't care how they make money, they smuggle people and illegal goods put all of us in danger.
"That's why we need a single border force to stop them."
Immigration officers now have new powers enabling them to:
Obtain information from customs to identify illegal immigrants and benefit cheats.
Prosecute traffickers and people smugglers.
Pursue, search and detain anyone of interest to the authorities for criminal reasons.
During the visit, Mr Byrne saw a mobile container scanner in operation being used by officers to examine an entire crate for illegal goods or people.
The national pilot of the single border force has been successfully carried out at Purfleet Port during the last six months with 140 officers from customs and immigration working as one team.
Since the beginning of the year officers protecting Tilbury and Purfleet have stopped more than 60 illegal immigrants gaining entry to Britain.
They have also seized cigarettes and cannabis worth £3.5million.
4:00am Thursday 27th March 2008
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