Ahmed Ebid, a UK-based people smuggler, has been sentenced to 25 years in jail for his role in smuggling over 3,800 migrants on fishing boat crossings from North Africa to Italy, with some making their way to Britain. The National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that Ebid was involved in a £12 million illegal boat crossing operation between October 2022 and June 2023, marking him as the first person convicted of organizing such crossings from the UK.
Originally from Egypt, Ebid arrived in the UK in 2022 after serving five years in an Italian jail for attempted drug smuggling. Upon arrival, he sought asylum in the UK, although the British government never reached a decision on his claim. Despite his legal troubles, Ebid continued his smuggling operations, focusing on exploiting vulnerable individuals for financial gain, according to Judge Adam Hiddleston at his sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
Described as running a commercial enterprise, Ebid’s illicit activities involved bribing officials, issuing threats of violence towards migrants, and overseeing the transportation of thousands of individuals on unsafe fishing vessels. Italian security services apprehended Ebid in 2023 after discovering connections between satellite phones used by migrants on Mediterranean crossings and a British mobile number linked to Ebid. Following his arrest, the NCA collected evidence revealing Ebid’s deep involvement in numerous smuggling operations, leading to his eventual prosecution.
Once his 25-year sentence is served, Ebid is likely to face deportation. Despite operating at a high managerial level within the smuggling network, Ebid’s reign of exploitation and human trafficking has come to an end with his incarceration and impending removal from the UK
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