Three men arrested in Iraq over alleged UK people smuggling links

Three men who are allegedly part of a global people smuggling network moving migrants from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) into the UK and Europe have been arrested.

They have been linked to the same network as Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian national who dubbed himself “the best smuggler” and was jailed for 17 years in November after he arranged Channel small boat crossings from his home in Lancashire.

All three men, who “previously they thought they were untouchable,” are in custody and face prosecution for human trafficking offences by the KRI authorities.

This was the first time the NCA has worked with Asayish (security) agencies in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to target high-ranking people smugglers who are trying to transport migrants across Europe and into small boats to the UK.

The investigation also drew praise from Home Secretary Yvette Cooper who said the operation would have “a material effect on the criminal networks currently trafficking people across Europe.”

Amanj Hasan Zada, of Stefano Road, Preston, was convicted by a jury of three counts of facilitating illegal immigration after a two-week trial at Preston Crown Court.

One video found on YouTube by the NCA – thought to have been recorded in Iraq in 2021 – showed him at a party with musicians singing a song in Kurdish feting him as “the best smuggler”, saying “all the other smugglers have learned from him”, while he throws cash at them and fires a gun in the air in celebration.

The latest arrests include a 38-year-old man who is accused of working with the network to co-ordinate the movements of more than a dozen yachts transporting migrants into Greece or Italy, according to the NCA.

Each boat would contain 60 or 70 people, who would then be moved on to northern Europe or the UK.

A Hawala banker, aged in his 40s, who allegedly processed financial transactions on behalf of Zada, has also been detained.

Another man in his 30s from Sulaymaniyah who is accused of being a middle-man gathering migrants for movement by Zada’s network is also in custody.

Ms Cooper said: “Just seven weeks ago, as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, I signed the UK’s landmark deal on law enforcement cooperation and border security with Iraq and met with the Kurdish Regional Government, signalling our determination to work together to dismantle the criminal smuggling gangs operating through that region.

NCA director general of operations Rob Jones said: “This is the next significant step in taking on the people smuggling gangs who dominate the deadly cross-Channel small boat trade, many of whom operate from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

“Previously they thought they were untouchable, but thanks to our co-operation with the KRI authorities, we have demonstrated that this is no longer the case and they will be held to account.”

Branch commander Martin Clarke, who was part of the team of NCA officers who flew out to Kurdistan Region of Iraq, said the trail of the network had been followed from Amanj Hasan Zada in his house in Preston and back to Sulaymaniyah where it is believed “this gang were operating and recruiting.”

He thanked the Asayish agencies, adding: “Like us they recognise that these gangs are risking the lives of those they transport, feeding them lies via their social media channels, and claiming journeys are one hundred percent safe.

“More than 70 people lost their lives attempting to cross the Channel in small boats in 2024, so this trade must stop.”