More sniffer dogs deployed to detect small boats
Alex Bish/BBCMore dogs trained to detect small boats being smuggled into the EU before they are used to cross the English Channel will be deployed in Bulgaria.
Three sniffer dogs will join one, named Adele, that has already helped discover 91 concealed boats and six engines at the border with Turkey, according to UK authorities.
The Kapitan Andreevo border control point in Bulgaria is one of the world's busiest land borders and a front line against smuggling gangs.
Minister for Europe Steven Doughty announced the support during a meeting with the newly elected Bulgarian government.
The new dogs, currently being trained in the UK, are a Labrador named Luna, a springer spaniel named Callie and a springer-cocker spaniel cross named Sprockit.
They are due to start work in September.
The BBC saw the customs team at work in Bulgaria in 2025, where officials said criminals were hiding inflatable boats in lorries, coaches and car boots.
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the vessels were then transported to the Channel for use in dangerous small boat crossings to Britain.
The UK has also been providing drones and vehicle-scanning equipment to uncover people and drugs being smuggled in vehicles across the border in Bulgaria.
Both countries formally agreed to cooperate to tackle organised immigration crime in 2023.
Doughty said cooperation with Bulgaria was "delivering real results, stopping threats long before they reach the UK".
NCA head of region Kenny Dron said: "We have an extremely positive relationship with our law enforcement colleagues there, regularly sharing intelligence and mounting joint operations.
"I'm delighted we are able to expand our work with them, and the deployment of these new dogs will further increase our ability to disrupt the criminal networks threatening the security of both of our nations."
NCAThe work with Bulgaria is part of the government's attempts to disrupt people smuggling gangs, boats and engine equipment before they reach the Channel coast.
It was confirmed in April that riot-trained police would be sent to French beaches as part of a £662m deal to stop illegal migrants from crossing the strait.
The deal with France also included the deployment of drones, two helicopters and a camera system to intercept people smugglers and migrants.
In recent months, some smuggling gangs have started launching small boats from neighbouring Belgium, which officials claim is due to enforcement by the French authorities.
Between 1 January and 20 May 2026, a total of 7,576 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 41% on the same period the previous year.
The number of people taking this dangerous route each year peaked in 2022 when more than 45,000 people made the journey before dropping by several thousand the next year.
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