The Telegraph reports that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is smuggling undercover agents into the UK by hiding them among migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. The report, based on human smugglers and Iranian officials, says the agents are linked to the IRGC's Quds Force Unit 700, which handles logistics. It also notes that far more IRGC-linked individuals enter the UK on legal flights from Europe than by boat.
According to a report published by The Telegraph, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been smuggling undercover agents into the United Kingdom by disguising them as migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. The account, based on interviews with human smugglers operating in Europe and Iranian officials, describes a network controlled by the IRGC's Quds Force, specifically Unit 700, which handles logistics. The smugglers said that the Iranian regime assists migrants in Calais, France, to reach the UK in exchange for 'favors' to be performed after they settle in England.
The report also notes that the number of individuals linked to the IRGC entering the UK on legal flights from Europe is significantly larger than those arriving by boat. Agents intercepted on boats in the Channel have been linked to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence, which is responsible for intelligence and security operations outside the country's borders.
The report is based on a single investigation and has not been independently corroborated by other sources.
3 developments
- StrongIran's intelligence ministry arrests suspect for allegedly leaking classified data to the US
- DevelopingTelegraph: Iran infiltrates secret agents into UK under guise of migrants, IRGC awaits orders
- DevelopingUS, UK, and European allies condemn Iran's IRGC intelligence, Quds Force, and intelligence ministry
- DevelopingIRGC-affiliated agency reports senior official eliminated in Bandar Abbas
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Open-source intake