A poster urging coastal residents to be on the lookout for “suspicious activity” and boats arriving at unusual times has been put up in Kent towns in a bid to tackle people trafficking.
The posters found in Dover and Deal encourage residents to report what they see rather than ignore it, and is part of a joint law enforcement campaign between the UK Border Agency, Kent Police and the National Crime Agency.
Under the banner Project Kraken, one of the posters features a graphic of a lighthouse and the words “seen something suspicious? Don’t ignore it. Share it”. Locals and maritime workers are encouraged to report relevant activity to the police.
It asks local residents to look out for “nervous crew, people attempting to signal boats offshore, and large cash payments made for maritime equipment”, among other signs.
The government says Projects Kraken, which was launched in 2016, aims to crack down on maritime border crime across 11,000 miles of British coastline.
“Whether you work in the maritime industry, are a keen sailor, or are just walking along the coast, you should report any unusual or suspicious activity near the UK coastline and in maritime environments immediately.”
Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke suggested that while the move was important, the focus should be on strengthening border security on the “French side of the Channel”, Kent Online reported.
“The best way to deter these dangerous crossings is for traffickers to know they will not succeed.
“Yet if they have reached our waters, they have succeeded.
“That’s why we need the Channel to be made a joint UK/France security zone with 24/7 aerial surveillance along the French coast, so that migrants can be picked up and returned safely to France.”
It follows instances in recent months of dinghys carrying migrants making the perilous journey across the Channel to arrive on the Kent coast.
More than 350 people have arrived in this way since November.
A number of police forces around the country are involved in Project Kraken.