Title: 38-Year-Old Man Found Guilty in Organized Migrant Smuggling Group, Including Minors
A 38-year-old Asian man from Ilford, Najib Khan, has been convicted after being identified as part of an organized crime group involved in the smuggling of migrants, including minors, into the UK. This discovery was made by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) following the arrest of Khan’s co-conspirator, Waqas Ikram, in March 2021.
Ikram, who was caught red-handed attempting to break into a heavy goods vehicle to transport migrants, was found to be working for a people smuggling organized crime group led by Mokter Hossain.
Evidence obtained from Ikram’s seized iPhone revealed numerous conversations with Khan regarding their involvement in a separate people smuggling network. The NCA stated that migrants were being charged up to £7,000 per person for transportation to the UK.
Phone records indicated that Khan and Ikram successfully facilitated the crossing of five migrants into Harwich in March 2019. Additionally, two other smuggling attempts were thwarted by border agents, one in May 2019 when 15 Vietnamese and one Afghan migrant were discovered in a lorry at the Hook of Holland, and another in August of the same year when 16 migrants, including 11 minors, were rescued from a specially designed concealment in a lorry carrying loose tyres.
The drivers involved in both incidents were later imprisoned in the Netherlands and France, but the NCA was able to establish Ikram’s criminal organization’s participation in both cases.
Further investigations unveiled conversations between Khan and Ikram, revealing their use of GPS trackers to locate lorries they had arranged to be broken into so they could hide migrants inside without the drivers’ knowledge.
During Khan’s arrest, one of these trackers was found at his residence. In 2020, Khan and Ikram even purchased a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) for the purpose of smuggling migrants, and Ikram attended a powerboat piloting course in June of that year, according to the NCA.
In July, the two individuals were confronted by Border Force off the coast of Suffolk while operating the RHIB. They claimed they were scouting for scuba diving sites and subsequently returned to Walton-on-the-Naze.
NCA branch commander Andy Noyes stated, Ikram and Khan had no regard for the safety and security of those they were transporting; they were only interested in making money from them. He further emphasized that their actions could have resulted in life-threatening situations if the migrants had not been discovered by border agents.
While Ikram pleaded guilty to the charges, Khan chose to go to trial. On Friday, a jury at Reading Crown Court found him guilty of all three counts of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.
In this case of organized migrant smuggling, including the transportation of minors, the judicial system has sent a strong message against such criminal activities. The court’s decision serves as a reminder that those involved in such networks will face severe legal consequences.
The NCA continues to work diligently to dismantle organized crime groups involved in human trafficking and smuggling, striving to ensure the safety and security of migrants seeking a better life while deterring those who exploit vulnerable individuals for profit.
