Fury as mega-dinghies capable of carrying up to 230 migrants brazenly offered for sale online

MEGA-dinghies like the one which took a record 230 migrants to Britain are sold brazenly online by Chinese factories. The Sun found a 49ft boat for £1,400 in just five minutes on the Alibaba marketplace website. Mega-dinghies are being sold brazenly online by Chinese factories Credit: alibaba A 49ft boat was being sold for £1,400 on the Alibaba marketplace website We told how a similar inflatable, packed with more passengers than carried by an easyJet Airbus, was escorted to Dover after leaving Berck, in Northern France, on Sunday night. Sun analysis revealed the migrants on that one boat alone could cost British taxpayers up to £25million. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The dinghy we found was listed by Qingdao Rongsheng Sports Goods Co Ltd as a “fishing and cargo boat” in the “waterplay crafts” section of China’s largest online shopping site. The firm can also provide an engine, or a sample dinghy with a one-year warranty for a cut-price £1,270. MORE ON SMALL BOATS CRISIS They offer boats in sizes starting at 26ft and boast a rating of 4.8 out of 5. Another seller we contacted, the Qingdao Jiahai Boat Co, provides a 32ft “sports yacht” for £860. It said it would ship to European nations but, not did not reveal which ones. The firm insisted: “Our vessels are used for transporting goods.” Most read in The Sun Huge dinghies like the one that took a record 230 migrants to Britain are being sold online Credit: Station SNSM Berck sur Mer/FACEBOOK Rescue crews monitoring the packed vessel carrying a record number of migrants Credit: Station SNSM Berck sur Mer/FACEBOOK Many mega-dinghies are exported through Turkey and Bulgaria to Germany, and then on to northern France. Rob Bates, of the Centre for Migration Control, told The Sun: “The work of people smugglers has never been easier. “The Home Office has failed to deter migrants making the crossing, and we will now see an armada of these readily-available vessels.” Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “An industry facilitating Channel crossings has sprung up. Illegal immigrants are finding new ways to cross, and the mega dinghies show how brazen this has become.” French sea rescue charity SNSM said Monday’s boat had 260 people on board, but 30 were forced off because of the fear it would capsize. Alibaba said: “We adhere to all applicable laws in the markets we operate in and require sellers to do the same. “Listings for boats and dinghies on our platform are intended for legitimate commercial uses such as fishing, cargo transport and marine operations.” A Government spokeswoman said: “We’re cracking down on these reckless and dangerous gangs – our work to disrupt their criminal supply chains has led to more than 1,100 small boats and engines seized since the election. “There are also now more police on French beaches to intercept them before they set off. “Small boat crossings are significantly down this year with the lowest number recorded for the month of July since 2020.” A National Crime Agency spokesman told The Sun: “People smuggling gangs are constantly trying to adapt and we are working internationally to tackle their business models, end-to-end. “We are proactively targeting and degrading the supply chain of boats and engines, the social media they use to advertise crossings, their finances, and the controlling minds coordinating the crossings, in the fight against organised immigration crime.” Additional reporting: Julia Atherley 1 comment1