London, 18 February 2026 – Essex Police are reviewing private flight activity to and from Stansted Airport after the release of the US Department of Justice files on paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged UK authorities to urgently investigate claims that girls were trafficked into the country via Epstein’s private jets, reportedly including flights from Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. According to Brown, the files show 90 flights originating from UK airports, including 15 after Epstein’s 2008 conviction, and indicate women were transferred between planes, sometimes bypassing standard visa checks.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said they are assessing the information following the publication of the files. Separately, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has established a national coordination group to support local forces in evaluating these allegations.
Stansted Airport emphasized that private aircraft operations are handled by independent Fixed Base Operators, and all passenger checks are conducted by Border Force. The airport has no visibility of passenger arrangements on private flights.
In a related development, Thames Valley Police is investigating claims involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the UK trade envoy, over alleged sharing of confidential reports with Epstein. Being mentioned in the files does not indicate wrongdoing.
The release of the DOJ files has intensified scrutiny over private aviation oversight and trafficking risks in the UK, prompting calls for a full inquiry into potential gaps in monitoring and enforcement.