Three arrested in Iraq over alleged UK people smuggling links


Authorities in Iraq have arrested three individuals in the Kurdistan Region for their alleged involvement in a global people smuggling network that transported migrants to the United Kingdom and Europe. The group, including two bankers and one middle-man, are accused of affiliating with the same network as Amanj Hasan Zada, who was sentenced to jail time last year after facilitating small boat Channel crossings.

The three men are in custody and are expected to face prosecution for human trafficking offences under the guidance of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Notably, this was the first operation in which National Crime Agency (NCA) officers remained deployed to assist the region’s Security Council and Security Agency with arrests.

The detained individuals stand accused of coordinating transportation by boat for migrants into Greece or Italy, containing 60 to 70 individuals each, before relocation to northern European countries or the UK. Hawala, an informal money transfer system, was allegedly utilized by the second man to process financial transactions on behalf of Zada.

Zada, who was from Lancashire in the UK, had been involved in three separate crossings from France when Kurdish migrants who had gone through Eastern Europe were apprehended. He was convicted on three counts of facilitating illegal immigration in November and sentenced to 17 years in prison. According to the NCA, social media was used by Zada to market his services, even featuring videos of migrants expressing gratitude for his assistance.

NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke, one of the officials deployed to KRI, emphasized that people smuggling gangs are endangering the lives of those they transport by promoting falsehoods through social media channels, claiming that journeys are absolutely safe. Clarke urged smugglers to halt their operations, highlighting the fact that over 70 people died attempting small boat Channel crossings in 2024.

 

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