Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth, has been locked up for eight years and seven months for smuggling hundreds of illegal migrants into the UK. He admitted guilt in July 2024 after a National Crime Agency (NCA) sting uncovered his control over a sprawling criminal network across northern Europe and the Middle East.
Smuggling from Serbia to UK is worth thousands per passenger
Authorities seized Karim’s phone, revealing he masterminded moves of migrants from Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo, and Bosnia through Romanian and Hungarian borders in HGV lorries. Migrants paid £800 to £1,000 just to enter the EU, then were hit with even bigger fees to cross from France to the UK.
One message detailed a November 2022 attempt to charge each migrant £1,650 for a lorry crossing. Another voice note from January 2023 arranged a £24,000 fee for two passengers, with contingency plans if they got caught at Dover. Karim also discussed multiple dinghy crossings, exposing the scale of his empire.
Judge Brands Karim a ‘Leading Role’ in Smuggling Operation
Karim was arrested in Portsmouth in March 2024 and pleaded guilty in June. On Wednesday, 25 February, the judge slammed his actions, emphasising his leadership in the illegal trade.
NCA Branch Commander Rachel Bramley said: “Karim was a key player in an organised crime group moving people by HGV, small boats, yachts and planes. He controlled crossing days, routes and prices. Tackling organised immigration crime is one of our top priorities. We will keep hunting down these networks wherever they operate.”
