People smugglers have resorted to using larger ‘mega-dinghies’ to transport migrants across the Channel because they have run out of small boats, a new BBC investigation has found.Last month, the public was shocked by images of a huge inflatable packed with 230 migrants arriving in Britain overnight.The August 10 crossing was the largest number of people ever recorded on a single small boat, smashing the previous record of 165 set just 17 days earlier. The 230 arrivals were more passengers than the typical capacity of a Boeing 737.The unprecedented crossing prompted accusations that politicians had ‘lost control’ of illegal migration, while French police once again came under fire for failing to intervene.But the investigation has now uncovered a different reason behind the sudden emergence of these mega-dinghies – smugglers are running out of smaller vessels.This is largely due to the success of law enforcement efforts to disrupt equipment supply chains. With fewer boats available, rival criminal groups that would once have operated separately are now being forced to work together, cramming larger numbers of migrants onto fewer, bigger vessels. The public was shocked by images of a huge inflatable packed with 230 migrants arriving in Britain