A man suspected of being a “major supplier” of boats to people smugglers operating English Channel migrant crossings has been arrested.

The 44-year-old Turk was detained at Amsterdam Schipol Airport on Wednesday following a joint investigation by Dutch and Belgian authorities and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

An NCA spokesman said the man was suspected of transporting boats and engines from Turkey and storing them in Germany before being transported to northern France for transit.

The spokesman added that the man was at risk of being extradited to Belgium on human trafficking charges.

Rob Jones, the NCA’s chief operating officer, said: “We suspect this individual is a major supplier of boats and engines to smugglers operating in Belgium and northern France.

“The types of ships and engines we see used on these crossings are extremely dangerous and completely unsuitable for offshore use.

“As a result, at least 50 people are known to have died this year. “They have no legitimate use.”

More than 32,000 people have crossed the English Channel to the UK by boat so far this year, according to Home Office figures.

The operation comes at a time when the NCA is leading nearly 70 live investigations into organized immigration crime or human trafficking, according to the agency.

The arrest of the suspected boat supplier was carried out through the Europol Operational Task Force and its partners.

A spokesman for the West Flanders prosecutor’s office said international cooperation was “vital in the fight against human trafficking”.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “We will relentlessly pursue criminal smuggling gangs who make millions from small boat crossings that undermine our border security and put lives at risk.

“This major investigation shows how important it is for our crime-fighting agencies to work hand in hand with our international partners to deliver results.”