‘Best Smuggler’ Busted! Gets 17 Years for Channel Boat Crossings
Amanj Hasan Zada, 34, from Preston, has been slammed with a 17-year jail sentence for running a high-stakes people-smuggling racket across the Channel. Dubbed “the best smuggler” by his own clients, Zada’s operation was smashed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) after a two-week trial at Preston Crown Court.
Social Media Swagger to Courtroom Conviction
Zada, who also went by the name Amanj Zaman, flaunted his illegal business on social media, posting flashy videos where Kurdish musicians hailed him as the top smuggler. In one clip, he throws wads of cash and fires a gun into the air, celebrating his dodgy success.
The NCA tied him to at least three Channel crossings in late 2023 involving Kurdish migrants who trekked through Eastern Europe before attempting the final passport-free trip from France to the UK. Evidence included recorded chats, incriminating messages on his phone, travel tickets, and online adverts selling his smuggling services.
Hard-Hitting Words from the NCA
“Zada ran a sophisticated people-smuggling enterprise, using social media to lure clients,” said NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke. “He cared only for profit, with no regard for the lives he put at risk. People smugglers like him are a direct threat to human life, which is why we remain committed to disrupting these operations at every level.”
The Wider Fight Against Human Trafficking
The NCA is currently probing around 70 cases of organised immigration crime and human trafficking. Their crackdown targets every stop on the migrant route—from countries of origin, through transit points and border crosses, all the way inside the UK.
