A Cambridgeshire car wash is among the UK businesses that people smugglers are using to help migrants pay for illegal Channel crossings, a BBC Local documentary has found.
A criminal gang has been found using UK-registered businesses to help fund illegal activity.
The group has been identified as part of a people smuggling network arranging illegal Channel crossings, with businesses allegedly being used to process payments for the dangerous journeys.
Featured in a documentary produced by BBC Local Investigations titled The Smuggling Business: Undercover, the investigation revealed that people smugglers are directing migrants to pay for crossings using bank accounts linked to UK firms.
Among the businesses named was Afg Mobile Repair, a mobile phone shop in Woolwich, south-east London.
Two others were the Cambridgeshire car wash and a wholesale business in Newcastle upon Tyne.
A BBC undercover researcher posing as a migrant’s relative visited the Woolwich shop and was told that nearly £3,000 in cash could be deposited at the shop and sent to a smuggler in France.
During the investigation, a BBC researcher also posed as a migrant in Dunkirk, where they were quickly approached by two men believed to be working for rival smuggling gangs.
One introduced the researcher to a smuggler known as Zia, who offered to arrange a crossing via small boat.
The other provided contact details for a smuggler named Ahmad, who it was claimed had been operating in northern France for more than five years.
Ahmad quoted a price of £2,700 for two people and directed the undercover reporter to one of three UK businesses for payment, including the Woolwich shop.
All three firms are registered with Companies House.
The BBC’s investigation team confirmed that Ahmad supplied correct bank details for the businesses in Newcastle and Cambridgeshire.
Ahmad also mentioned alternative cash payment locations in Europe, such as a car wash in Antwerp, Belgium, and a restaurant in Paris.
When later confronted by the BBC, Ahmad denied any involvement in people smuggling, while Zia did not respond to requests for comment.
The Newcastle business owner said: "We strongly reject any suggestion that we have knowingly or negligently enabled criminal activity," adding that they would fully cooperate with authorities.
No comment was received from the Cambridgeshire car wash.
A series of undercover visits to the phone shop in Woolwich led to further secretly recorded conversations with staff.
The BBC researcher, this time posing as a family member of a migrant, was told the money would only be transferred after a successful crossing.
A worker at the shop said: "If your people do not cross, if he tells me to return your money back to you, I'll do it."
The BBC did not hand over any money during the investigation.
When later confronted, the worker denied involvement in money transfers for people smugglers.
The Home Office said it is working relentlessly with European partners to dismantle the criminal networks behind dangerous small boat crossings.
Migration minister Mike Tapp said: "There is a lot of investigative work that goes on behind the scenes", in part, looking at money transfers.
When asked about smuggler Ahmad’s use of UK-registered companies’ bank accounts, Mr Tapp said he would "love to see more" of the investigation’s findings, but said he couldn't "go into any detail on that".
He added that criminal gangs are agile and continuously change their methods, saying "it's important we keep up with that and we're continuously pressing for that".
'The Smuggling Business: Undercover' is now available on BBC iPlayer.
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