A Syrian national wanted by German authorities was arrested in the UK, British authorities said on Friday. He was suspected of moving large numbers of people from the Czech Republic into Germany and was arrested following a joint German-UK investigation.
He was found living in Leicester by officers from the National Extradition Unit, which is part of the UK’s National Crime Agency.
"People smuggling is an international crime and we are working closely with our counterparts in Germany and across Europe to target the individuals and networks involved,’’ said Tony Allen from the NCA's Joint International Crime Center.
Human trafficking is a top priority for European police as the number of deaths related to smuggling increases. Since 2022, the EU has adopted the EMPACT policy - the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats - which is the EUs main weapon against fighting serious and organized crime. Smuggling was down 30% in 2023 compared with 2022, according to Europol.
According to the EU Council, criminals who deal in human trafficking make almost 30 billion euros a year.
The UK is a popular destination. As of the start of December, 33,684 people had crossed the English Channel in small boats in 2024, according to the British defence ministry. This is an increase from the 29,437 who arrived within the whole year of 2023.
More than 50 people have died trying to cross the Channel in 2024, which is a record high since the International Organization for Migration (IOM) started tracking the deaths in 2014.
Kurds are major players in the smuggling networks. On Wednesday, German and French police targeted a Kurdish human trafficking ring suspected of smuggling migrants over the English Channel.
The network of Iraqi and Syrian nationals of Kurdish origin is suspected of smuggling Middle Easters and East Africans from France to the United Kingdom using “non-EU certified low-quality inflatable boats” sourced from Turkey, according to Europol.
Police arrested 13 people - eight in Germany and five in France, including “one high value target,” according to Europol.
Along with the arrests, 15 houses and 10 storage sites were searched, leading to the seizure of 70,000 euros in cash, gold valued at 5,000 euros, and over 40 electronic devices. Other seizures include 21 inflatable boats, 24 engines, 76 life vests, as well as over 600 inner tubes and air pumps.
UK authorities are working with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to combat human smuggling.
