UK Police Expand Epstein Investigation, Focusing on Flights and Alleged Trafficking
British police have significantly broadened their investigation into the connections between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and individuals within the United Kingdom, confirming they are now examining claims that dozens of private flights into UK airports were used to traffic women. The expansion comes after former Prime Minister Gordon Brown detailed in recently released documents how Epstein allegedly exploited loopholes at airports like Stansted to transport women from Eastern European countries.
Essex Police on Tuesday confirmed it is assessing allegations that Stansted Airport was used for the purpose of trafficking, reversing previous statements where the force repeatedly declined to comment. This development marks a notable shift in the UK’s response to the trove of documents released by the US Department of Justice related to Epstein.
In total, four British police forces are now involved in assessing claims related to Epstein, signaling a concerted effort to investigate potential criminal activity. Thames Valley Police is currently evaluating two separate allegations against Prince Andrew, Duke of York – now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – to determine if a full criminal investigation is warranted. These include an assessment of whether he used his position as a British trade envoy to share potentially sensitive information with Epstein, and a claim that Epstein sent a second woman to the UK for sexual encounters with the former prince in Windsor in 2010.
Surrey Police is also assessing a separate allegation against Mountbatten-Windsor. The Metropolitan Police are conducting a criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson, a former Labour government minister, regarding allegations he passed information to Epstein.
While Bedfordshire Police has not confirmed whether it is assessing claims that Luton Airport was used by planes linked to Epstein for trafficking, sources within the force indicate that such an assessment is underway. A senior policing source described the volume of allegations expected as a result of the released Epstein files as a “tsunami.”
The scrutiny follows the publication of an article by Gordon Brown in the New Statesman, where he detailed 90 flights connected to Epstein to and from UK airports, including 15 that occurred after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a child. Brown alleged that Epstein “boasted” about the lower airport charges at Stansted compared to Paris, and that the airport was used as a transfer point for women arriving on private planes, who did not require British visas.
Brown also raised concerns about “incomplete flight logs” showing unnamed passengers labeled simply as “female,” suggesting a lack of oversight by authorities.
In a statement, Essex Police stated, “We are assessing the information that has emerged in relation to private flights into and out of Stansted airport following the publication of the US DoJ Epstein files.”
Stansted Airport released a statement clarifying that all private aircraft operate through independent fixed-base operators, who handle all regulatory requirements. The airport emphasized that all immigration and customs checks are conducted directly by Border Force, and that private jet passengers do not enter the main airport terminal. The airport stated it has no visibility of passenger arrangements on privately operated aircraft.
A BBC investigation in December 2023 identified 87 flights linked to Epstein that arrived at or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has established a national coordination group to support UK police forces assessing the allegations stemming from the Epstein files. According to an NPCC spokesperson, the group aims to “understand any potential impact arising from the millions of documents that have been published” and to “secure justice for victims and survivors.”
The investigation coincides with the release of 3.5 million pages of information related to Epstein by the US Department of Justice. A panel of independent experts appointed by the UN human rights council has suggested that the documents indicate the existence of a “global criminal enterprise,” and that some of the atrocities committed may meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity.
David Boies, a lawyer who represented Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein victim who alleged she was sexually trafficked to Prince Andrew, has called for the former prince to travel to the United States to provide testimony. Boies stated, “He’s got an obligation to tell what he knows…we ought to give him safe passage to come to the United States to testify, because we don’t want there to be any excuse for him not coming and telling what he knows.”
Liam Byrne, chair of parliament’s cross-party business and trade committee, indicated that MPs could potentially investigate Prince Andrew’s work as a trade envoy, following the release of emails appearing to show him sharing reports from official visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam with Epstein.
Thames Valley Police have previously held discussions with specialists from the Crown Prosecution Service regarding the allegations.
