Albanians held in human trafficking swoops

Six Albanian men were arrested today in a series of raids across Britain as part of an investigation into human trafficking, police said.

The men were held at around 7am by Kent Police officers at addresses in Walsall, West Midlands; St Albans, Hertfordshire; and across London.

French police have also arrested a number of people linked to the investigation, Kent Police said.

Those arrested in the UK will be taken to a north Kent police station for questioning.

Detective Inspector Eddie Fox said: "This is part of a long-term inquiry and we have been working closely with our French law enforcement colleagues.

"They have also made a number of arrests and the close collaboration between the forces of the two countries shows that criminals cannot escape justice by crossing international boundaries.

"The joint collaboration teams here in Kent and in France are achieving major success in the fight against organised crime."