Individual identified as ‘best smuggler’ sentenced to 17 years

Amanj Hasan Zada, originating from Preston in Lancashire and identified as the “best smuggler,” has been handed a 17-year prison sentence. Zada had advertised small boat crossings across the Channel on Facebook. He was connected to three distinct crossings from France in 2023, which involved Kurdish migrants who had previously journeyed through eastern Europe. Following a two-week trial conducted at Preston Crown Court, the 34-year-old Iranian national was found guilty of three charges of facilitating illegal immigration. Martin Clarke of the National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that there was “no doubt… [Zada] was likely to have been involved in many more” illegal crossings. Mr. Clarke characterized Zada’s operation as “a sophisticated enterprise,” emphasizing that “for him it was all about profit.” He added that Zada “had no issues with putting people in life-threatening situations as long as he got paid.” Clarke further commented, “People smugglers like him risk lives, which is why we are determined to do all we can to stop them, wherever they operate.” The NCA reported that it currently has approximately 70 active investigations targeting networks or individuals operating at the highest level of organized immigration crime or human trafficking. According to the NCA, Zada, who was identified as Amanj Zaman by individuals he attempted to smuggle, occasionally utilized videos depicting people he had previously assisted expressing gratitude. One such video featured a group of men on a boat en route to Italy commending him. A separate video, believed to have been filmed in Iraq in 2021, depicted Zada at a celebration where musicians performed a Kurdish song extolling him as “the best smuggler” and asserting that “all the other smugglers have learned from him.” During this, he was seen distributing cash to them and discharging a firearm into the air as part of the festivities. In the United Kingdom, NCA officers successfully recorded Zada’s conversations with other smugglers, which included discussions about migrant movements, specific locations, and successful crossings. Zada, residing on Stefano Road, was eventually apprehended in May, and his mobile phone was confiscated. An examination of the device revealed its connection to several social media accounts utilized for posting content, as well as phone numbers advertised on these platforms. Furthermore, he had maintained direct communication with some of the migrants who arrived in the UK in 2023.