Authorities in London announced the breakup of an international human smuggling ring that brought Chinese nationals into the United Kingdom.

From the AFP:

The Turkish gang was allegedly responsible for the final leg of a journey that would take Chinese nationals — mainly from the south-east of the country — up to 18 months to complete, officers said.

Each person would pay up to 21,000 pounds (28,100 euros, 41,800 dollars) to be taken across Asia and western Europe to Britain. The traffickers are also suspected of involvement in drug smuggling and money laundering.

Tony Smith, the regional director of the Border and Immigration Agency, said some 18,000 potential illegal migrants were stopped every year, including as many as 13,000 concealed in lorries at major ports, particularly Calais.

Human Smuggling is a $10 billion market.