Over 8,000 People-Smuggling Accounts Removed from Social Media in 2024

The UK’s National Crime Agency reports a 40% increase in takedowns, targeting criminal networks exploiting platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, and YouTube.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) facilitated the removal of more than 8,000 social media accounts promoting people-smuggling in 2024, a 40% increase from 2023.
Since launching its social media action plan in December 2021, the NCA has taken down over 16,500 accounts across platforms including Meta, TikTok, X, and YouTube.
Removed accounts included posts advertising fraudulent small boat crossings, offering fake ID documents, and incentivizing referrals with prizes.
Convictions in 2024 included Amanj Hasan Zada, sentenced to 17 years, and two others, Dilshad Shamo and Ali Khdir, who used social media to publicize smuggling operations.
The NCA continues to collaborate with social media companies to enhance detection capabilities and disrupt organized crime networks.