Iran is allegedly smuggling covert operatives into Britain through migrant routes to Europe, with some already in London "waiting for orders" from Tehran, according to an investigation by The Telegraph.
According to The Telegraph's investigation, British authorities have intercepted individuals suspected of links to Iranian intelligence while attempting to enter the UK aboard small boats crossing the English Channel.
People smugglers operating in Europe told the newspaper that Iran has allegedly helped migrants reach Britain in exchange for carrying out a "favor" for Iran after establishing themselves in the country.
The investigation further claimed that elements of the IRGC control parts of the smuggling routes from the Middle East into Europe. According to the report, "revolutionary individuals" were smuggled into London through networks linked to Unit 700, the logistics arm of the IRGC's Quds Force.
An Iranian source told The Telegraph that Tehran already has operatives in London who are waiting to be activated, and threatened that Iran could make the British capital unsafe, if it chose to do so.
The source told The Telegraph that Tehran sees the migrant routes as more useful than missiles, and that Iran "does not need a missile to target London, it’s easier than that."
Sources who spoke to The Telegraph assessed that the number of individuals associated with the IRGC who have entered Britain legally on flights from European countries is likely greater than the number who attempted to enter on migrant boats. They also noted that recruiting and activating people already living in Britain or using criminal networks as proxies could create a significantly greater threat than inserting people through migrant boats.
The UK Home Office said national security is a top priority and that people arriving by small boats undergo security checks. Anyone identified as posing a national security threat is detained immediately, with the office working to remove him from the country as soon as possible, the statement added.