British-Iranian Man Extradited to France Over People Smuggling
Kaiwan Poore, 37, an Iranian-born British national, was handed over to French authorities today. He was caught at Manchester Airport earlier this month trying to fly to Turkey. French prosecutors accuse Poore of being part of an organised gang involved in people smuggling. Once in custody in Lille, he’ll face charges.
Another Smuggler Sent to Belgium
Poore’s extradition follows the transfer of Hewa Rahimpur, 29, also from Iran, to Belgian police yesterday. Rahimpur agreed to extradition at a Westminster Magistrates Court hearing on 15 July. He was arrested in East London by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in May. Belgian prosecutors describe him as a key player in a network moving thousands of migrants from the northern French coast in rickety dinghies.
Huge Crackdown on People Smugglers Across Europe
The NCA recently arrested a man accused of sourcing boats and organising migrant transport to French and Belgian shores. These moves are part of a major international probe led by the NCA working with police in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Europol, and Eurojust.
On 5 July, coordinated raids across Europe netted around 40 arrests, seized dozens of boats and engines, and confiscated nearly 900 lifejackets, all believed to be used for dangerous Channel crossings. Two suspects arrested for facilitating illegal immigration to the UK have been released on bail pending further inquiry.
“The arrests of these two individuals were crucial to a major international investigation focusing on one of the most prolific crime groups thought to be involved in small boat crossings,” said Jacque Beer, NCA Deputy Director of Investigations. “Where we discover these gangs have a UK presence, we are determined to use every tool at our disposal to track them down and bring them to justice.”
“People smugglers risk lives by putting people into these flimsy boats – this is why tackling them remains a priority for the NCA and our European partners.”
