People Smugglers Busted: Man Extradited To France As 18 Convicted In Lille
Major Cross-Channel Ring Taken Down
A man arrested by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and extradited to France is among 18 convicted in a major people smuggling trial in Lille. The defendants were involved in organising dangerous small boat crossings from northern France to the UK.
40-year-old Kaiwan Poore was caught at Manchester Airport in July 2022 trying to fly to Turkey. His arrest formed part of a huge Europe-wide crackdown led by French immigration crime unit OLTIM and backed by the NCA.
European Network Busted
The operation targeted a prolific smuggling gang run by Iranian national Hewa Rahimpur, who was arrested in London in May 2022 and jailed for 11 years in Belgium last October.
Law enforcement across the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany seized dozens of boats, engines, and hundreds of lifejackets meant for smugglers. About 40 suspects were arrested in a coordinated July 2022 action.
Profits Soar While Lives At Risk
The gang made a killing, raking in about £83,000 per crossing. Boats and equipment were shipped from Germany and the Netherlands to French beaches to ferry desperate migrants across the Channel.
One key figure, Mirkhan Rasoul, even ran the operation by phone from prison in France. On November 5, sentences ranged from one year suspended to 15 years for Rasoul. Poore was handed five years behind bars.
NCA Deputy Director Speaks Out
“This network were among the most prolific we have come across in terms of the number of crossings they organised,” said Craig Turner of the NCA.
“They only cared about profit, putting migrants in dangerously unseaworthy boats. Our close work with French partners, especially OLTIM, shows we won’t tolerate this.”
“International cooperation is vital to tackle organised immigration crime, and with partners across Europe, we’re determined to disrupt these deadly gangs.”
People smuggling remains a top priority for the NCA, with around 70 ongoing investigations into high-level organised crime networks linked to immigration.
