A HUNDRED migrants overpowered French cops yesterday morning to storm a beach and wade out to a “taxi boat” service — which sped them off to the UK.
The Sun was there to witness the scenes which saw hapless gendarmes fire tear gas in a desperate and ultimately failed bid to stop them.
Louis WoodAn army of migrants overpowered French cops to storm a beach and wade out to a ‘taxi boat’ service[/caption]
AFPFrench police officers puncture smuggler’s boat with a knife[/caption]
Even when the team of eight cops managed to slash the first boat which arrived to pick up the throng of mostly young men, a second boat arrived 15 minutes later.
The migrants — mainly from Vietnam and Sudan — then boarded the second craft and mockingly waved to officers as they started their six-hour journey to England.
It was clear French authorities are unable to cope with the sheer volume of boats, which insiders say smugglers run like a “taxi service” across to Kent.
A French police source told us: “It’s an impossible task — there are just too many boats now.
“It’s like playing whack-a-mole.
“You stop one boat and then another arrives.”
Our reporting team had seen the migrants hiding in sand dunes in Gravelines, some ten miles from Calais, waiting for the first boat.
Once the vessel approached the shore, cops instantly gave chase in two high-speed buggies, firing tear gas as they got closer.
One middle-aged lady cried out as she struggled to board the inflatable dinghy, which was floundering under the immense weight of its human cargo.
Men were thrown into the sea by people smugglers, who recognised they were being slowed down.
Amid the panic, the waves brought the boat close to the shore, where one police officer managed to deflate it by stabbing its rubber hull with a knife.
In the melee, men temporarily blinded by gas, tried to wash their faces in the sea, as others collapsed to the ground in coughing fits.
One traveller, a teenager from Sudan, did not get up after washing onto the beach.
His friend begged for an ambulance.
He claimed he had been stabbed by a thief in a camp the night before.
A policeman told us how two people smugglers were fighting for their lives after being shot last night during a gun battle over territory.
Violence is rife in the “Jungle” — a 1,000-man tent slum a 15 minute drive away, where the majority of migrants live before attempting a Channel crossing.
He said: “There was a disagreement between groups fighting for control.
“We have witnesses from Kurdistan who saw it unfold.”
Such is the hell for many migrants, they are willing to risk their lives crossing to Britain.
A sign on the beach informed us Dartford, Kent, was 143km away.
Cat and mouse
Cops were pictured laughing after scuppering the first attempt yesterday morning — but the illegals had the last laugh after quickly regrouping and making for a new spot on the beach.
A game of cat and mouse ensued, before the group of scores of men and a few women made a break for another boat on the shore.
Despite the police’s efforts with tear gas, this time cops failed to stop the migrants, who boarded the vessel and made for England.
Around five human traffickers, suspected of being from Kurdistan and Iraq, orchestrated the boarding and casually made their way back to the dunes.
Some of the Vietnamese passengers said they had paid £10,000 each to receive a VIP service from these men.
But some gatecrashers from Africa told us they paid nothing.
The police simply looked on, making no arrests.
Discarded items including trainers, bags and life jackets lay strewn across the beach, usually used by dog walkers, tourists and those on activity holidays.
It comes just days after a doomed voyage in Wimereux, which led to the deaths of five migrants, including a seven-year-old girl.
The Sun revealed she was on an overcrowded dinghy on Tuesday with her older brother, sister and her parents when tragedy struck a few hundred metres out to sea.
Police said around 50 of 112 people aboard fell into the sea, with some pinned below the boat’s hull.
It was the latest of several attempts the Kuwaiti family had made to try to reach Britain in a small boat.
Louis WoodDespite the police’s efforts with tear gas, this time cops failed to stop the migrants[/caption]
Louis WoodMigrants leave Gravelines beach in France heading to Dover[/caption]
They are believed to be part of a larger Kuwaiti group who have been in northern France since before Christmas.
Previous attempts to reach the UK illegally have been aborted due poor weather and a lack of space on a boat.
Two 22-year-old men have been charged with immigration offences as part of an investigation into the deaths of the migrants, the National Crime Agency said.
The two-mile long stretch of beach is perfect for migrants trying to dodge police.
‘Taxi service’
And smugglers are using a new “taxi service” where they send a boat down the coast to pick up groups of travellers, rather than ordering them to carry boats from the beach to the sea.
It allows migrants to run much faster and catch the authorities by surprise.
Cops yesterday used high-speed vehicles and drones, but ultimately appeared powerless.
A French Navy warship was seen in the distance, but did not react to the vessel as it left.
Migrants used to only travel in the early hours of the morning.
But here they have become so brazen they continued until around 9am.
By evading the cops, these migrants are getting on board often unseaworthy boats at huge expense and risking their lives
Marco Longhi
A police officer told us how people smugglers are so confident of making the trip to Britain they have even started leaving in the afternoon.
He said: “The migrants are now prepared to travel at any time of the day, depending on the weather.
“They live in Dunkirk and Calais and come to Gravelines the night before and sleep in the forest. They are always excited to leave.
“On Tuesday afternoon they took the boat into the canal and went out to the Channel.”
Local residents tipped us off that migrants were hiding in the dunes nearby.
When we visited, we found tarpaulin covers, ropes and oil drums.
Tory MP Marco Longhi last night said: “French President Emmanuel Macron needs to get a grip on his police officers who are patrolling the beaches and put more effort into stopping the boats.
“By evading the cops, these migrants are getting on board often unseaworthy boats at huge expense and risking their lives.”
Louis WoodThe two-mile long stretch of beach is perfect for migrants trying to dodge police[/caption]
Louis WoodA popped migrant vessel[/caption]