Eighteen Members of People-Smuggling Gang Sentenced in France for Channel Crossings
Eighteen members of a notorious people-smuggling gang, described by prosecutors as 'merchants of death', have been sentenced in France for their roles in facilitating thousands of small boat crossings of the English Channel. This gang, primarily composed of Iraqi Kurds, was apprehended following a comprehensive Europe-wide operation in 2022, leading to arrests in the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The ringleader, Mirkhan Rasoul, received the heaviest sentence during the court proceedings held in Lille, with the other defendants including one woman and an Iranian man who was extradited from the UK. For years, the gang had controlled a significant portion of the small boat traffic departing from northern France. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) determined that this gang was responsible for as many as 10,000 crossings, marking them as one of the most prolific criminal organizations in the area.
As part of the operation, law enforcement officials seized over 100 boats, 1,000 life jackets, engines, and large sums of cash. Rasoul, aged 26, was already serving an eight-year sentence for attempted murder and had prior convictions for smuggling. Court reports noted that he was running his extensive smuggling network remotely from a French prison cell.
Local media indicated that the court, following prosecution recommendations, imposed a lengthy prison sentence on Rasoul, who was also fined €200,000 (approximately $167,745). According to Lille's public prosecutor Carole Etienne, the fines imposed by the court totaled €1.445 million (about $1.2 million).
During the trial, it was revealed that the gang had a practice of overloading their small boats, often cramming them with up to 15 times more individuals than they were designed to carry. NCA deputy director Craig Turner stated, 'The gang's sole motive was profit, and they displayed a blatant disregard for the fates of the migrants they were sending to sea in wholly inappropriate and dangerous vessels.'
This complex trial involved collaboration among multiple European nations and police forces, generating a staggering 67 tonnes of paperwork, underscoring the scale and seriousness of the smuggling operation.
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