People Smuggler Noor Ullah Locked Up in East London Crackdown
Noor Ullah, 29, from Leytonstone, was busted in a major National Crime Agency (NCA) raid in May 2021. The operation smashed a well-oiled people smuggling ring based in east London.
Key Player in Cross-Channel Smuggling
The NCA named Ullah a top figure in the gang, with links spanning Europe and Asia. The crooks used mostly Romanian lorries to ferry migrants across the Channel, shuttling people between France and Kent.
- Some trying to flee the UK with the gang included serious offenders – a wanted child abuser and a murder suspect.
- Ullah first denied his role but changed tack at trial, pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle people out of the UK.
Sentence Delivered at Snaresbrook Crown Court
Ullah copped a two-year, five-month jail term today at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
“People smugglers like Ullah don’t care about safety or border security – the fact that they helped serious criminals escape shows that,” said NCA senior officer Chris Hill. “The gang used both drivers in on the scam and some who were unwitting, having their trucks broken into and loaded with migrants. They maximised profits by running people both ways – into and out of the UK.” “We’re determined to smash these organised crime gangs, and Operation Symbolry is just one example of that fight.”
Another Man Admits Role in Smuggling Ring
A second suspect, 52-year-old Mohammed Mokter Hossain from Woodford Green, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to moving migrants across borders. He faces sentencing after a Newton Hearing scheduled for May 2022.
This tough action comes after a long NCA investigation targeting rampant organised immigration crime around the UK.
