Fifteen e-bikes have been seized and three people arrested during a police crackdown on organised immigration crime across West Yorkshire.

West Yorkshire Police led the operation, working with the Fair Work Agency, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Intelligence, Justice and Care, and taxi licensing officers.

The operation, called Operation Lockstream, aims to tackle organised immigration crime, protect vulnerable people from exploitation and bring offenders to justice.

The national operation ran from Monday, September 21, to Monday, October 5, with police activity focused on railways, roads and ports.

In West Yorkshire, officers focused on roads and delivery riders using e-bikes, who may be at risk of exploitation or immigration offences.

During the operation, officers spoke to 56 e-bike riders, stopped and checked 21 vehicles and submitted 14 intelligence reports.

Police said officers were looking for signs of exploitation and working to disrupt criminal activity.

This included speaking to delivery riders and drivers, as well as people who may have experienced labour or criminal exploitation, including involvement in drug supply.

Detective Inspector Victoria Daniel-Thomas, from West Yorkshire Police’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking team, said:

“The intensification period highlights the continued work that our officers and partners do to protect our region.

“The operation strengthened partnerships across law enforcement and external agencies, generated valuable intelligence, and contributed to ongoing efforts to safeguard vulnerable individuals while disrupting organised immigration crime, modern slavery, and human trafficking.

“Organised crime is connected to violence, exploitation and anti-social behaviour and we aim to identify and protect anyone at risk. We hope to make West Yorkshire a difficult place for organised criminal gangs to operate and ensure the safety of our communities.”

Police have urged the public to look out for signs that someone may be experiencing exploitation or modern slavery.

These include having no access to identity documents, being paid less than the minimum wage or not being paid at all, working very long hours, living in overcrowded accommodation or having no formal employment contract.

Other warning signs include being transported to and from work in groups, being accompanied or spoken for by someone else, and appearing not to know their own address.

Anyone concerned about someone who may be at risk, or who notices suspicious activity, can contact West Yorkshire Police through its online Live Chat service at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat.