British police are examining information that could indicate Jeffrey Epstein trafficked women via private flights to and from a London-area airport, authorities said, following the recent release of millions of documents by a U.S. government body.
Essex Police announced on Wednesday it was assessing material that relates to private flights arriving at and departing from Stansted Airport, located northeast of London. The force emphasized that the work is an assessment and does not amount to a full criminal investigation.
That review forms part of a broader, nationally coordinated effort by policing bodies in England and Wales to evaluate details in the published files and to support individual forces that are examining Epstein's links to Britain or to British people.
"We continue to work collaboratively to assess the details being made public to allow us to understand any potential impact arising from the millions of documents that have been published," the National Police Chiefs' Council said in a statement.
The disclosure of the documents has provoked a significant reaction in Britain. Two police forces are conducting inquiries into allegations that implicate the former British ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, and the younger brother of King Charles, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The inquiries concern possible misconduct in public office and stem from material in the files that suggested both individuals forwarded confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein.
Both men have denied wrongdoing and have said they regret their past friendships with Epstein. According to police statements, they had not answered specific requests for comment following the latest publication of documents.
Media reporting last year noted that incomplete flight logs and passenger manifests recorded 87 flights connected to Epstein arriving at or departing from British airports between the early 1990s and 2018. Those records included entries listing unidentified "females" among passengers.
Documents in the released files make multiple references to Stansted. One entry discussed whether a Russian woman holding a U.S. visa could change planes at the airport. The files also contain tens of references to United Kingdom visas.
Stansted Airport stated that private flights are not managed by the terminal operator and that immigration and customs checks fall under the responsibility of the Border Force. The Border Force's rules require that all individuals arriving in Britain are subject to comprehensive checks, the airport said.
Police forces and the national coordination group said they are continuing to review the material to determine whether further investigative activity is warranted.