UK: Afghan nationals arrested for having ties to Europe-wide smuggling network

London: Three Afghan nationals have been arrested have in the UK after being convicted last night in Belgium for their roles in a people smuggling network.

The network was found not only to have facilitated migrant journeys through multiple countries to Europe but was implicated in other severe offenses as well, including sexual assaults against migrant minors for blackmail. Extradition proceedings to Belgium are underway.

Authorities have reported the arrest of three Afghan nationals in the UK in connection with a large-scale people smuggling operation. The individuals had previously been convicted in Belgium for their roles in the network.

The three men were identified as Ziarmal Khan, 24, Zeeshan Banghis, 20, and Saifur Rahman Ahmedzai, 23.

Last month, a court in Antwerp, Belgium, had convicted the three men in absentia — along with 20 other individuals involved in the operation — with sentences for all defendants totaling 170 years. Individual sentences for members of the group ranged from two to 18 years.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) reported that the arrests took place between December 6 and 30 in London and surrounding areas, and that their extradition to Belgium to serve their sentences was being processed.

Belgian prosecutors had stated that the smuggling network facilitated the movement of migrants from Afghanistan through various countries, including Iran, Turkey, and the Balkans, bringing them to Europe ultimately — with a focus on France and Belgium.

Many of these individuals were subsequently transported by small boats across the English Channel to the UK.

Craig Turner, Deputy Director of the NCA, said that the network profited “from the dangerous situations they put vulnerable people into as they were transported.”

Turner said that in addition to putting migrants’ lives in danger, the group had also committed “the most heinous sexual offenses against them.”

The network was implicated in serious offenses especially against male migrant minors, including sexual assaults that were recorded and used for blackmail.

Ahmedzai received a 10-year prison sentence, while Khan and Banghis were each sentenced to three years. All three also were fined €3,000.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the UK was committed to addressing people smuggling by collaborating with other countries, as irregular crossings to the UK continues to soar.

“In recent weeks, we’ve agreed landmark new deals with Iraq and Germany, pledging mutual support and cooperation to tackle this shared challenge,” she announced.

In 2024, over 37,100 individuals crossed the Channel, with 76 fatalities reported during the year.