Overview
- The 36-foot catamaran can reach about 40 knots and carries a long‑range infrared camera and an underwater drone for searches in poor conditions.
- Officers say Neptune will provide a visible deterrent, enable interceptions and boardings, and support operations against drug trafficking and other maritime crime.
- The vessel was paid for with about £300,000–£350,000 in government funding as part of the Home Office program targeting organised gangs.
- Devon and Cornwall Police report fewer than 10 organised immigration cases in two years but warn gangs are probing remote coves and small harbours for landings.
- UK small‑boat arrivals this year have surpassed roughly 34,000, with enforcement pressure in the south-east cited as pushing routes west.