Arrest of the head of a major smuggling network

The head of a major smuggling ring who fled before being sentenced to eight years in prison by the courts in December has been arrested, British authorities announced Saturday. This network is suspicious At least 1,900 Kurdish illegal immigrants were transported by truck Some from the Balkans in France or Germany, and some in England. On December 9, the courts sentenced five traffickers involved in the network. The main culprit, Tariq Namiq, 45, was jailed for eight years.

As he failed to appear in court, an arrest warrant was issued against him. He was arrested on Friday after arriving at Manchester Airport (northern England) on a flight from Istanbul, the British Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement on Saturday. He will appear in court on Monday and be formally sentenced, the NCA said.

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“Namik was a master smuggler whose criminal gang put vulnerable migrants at great risk while reaping the profits. I am glad he is now facing justice for his crimesNCA officer Richard Harrison said. The network, which came under NCA investigation in 2017, had an operation “Sophisticated“and”ProfitableTransporting immigrants from Iraq and Iran.

Tariq Namik had connections with other smugglers abroad, usually using truck drivers from Turkey as his ringleaders. His phone records suggest he may have been involved in transporting at least 1,900 illegal immigrants from the Balkans to France or Germany, charging around 1,800 euros per person.