Seven Afghan nationals have been charged with rape and child sexual abuse offences as part of an investigation into group-based child sexual exploitation in Norwich, Norfolk police said. The men are accused of sexual offences committed between August 2023 and May 2025.
Police said five of the men entered the UK via small boat, one concealed in a lorry, and the seventh attempted to enter clandestinely via Portsmouth ferry port. The men appeared before Norwich magistrates court on Friday and were remanded in custody until a plea hearing at Norwich crown court on 19 June.
Supt Craig Miller said: “I know this news will be shocking to our communities. This type of case is very upsetting, and I want people living and working in Norwich, as well as the wider communities of Norfolk, to know that we will do everything possible to protect children from abuse and exploitation.”
The charges include multiple counts of rape, human trafficking, conspiracy to commit child sexual abuse, and perverting the course of justice. The defendants are Jamil Khalil, 20; Ahmadin Ahmadzai, 21; Qais Kaker, 20; Fazal Auryakhel, 20; Mohammed Farooq Sinwary, 23; Ali Ahamad, 21; and Sayed Wahid Daviodzai, 20.
Norfolk police said officers raided seven addresses on Wednesday, six in Norwich and one in Dumbarton, Scotland, leading to seven arrests. The Irish police force, Garda Síochána, arrested an eighth suspect in Ireland on Friday. The charges relate to two alleged victims, aged in their early to mid-teens at the time of the alleged offences.
Det Supt Stacey Murray said: “I want to reassure everyone that we are being meticulous in our approach to this investigation.” The minister for safeguarding, Natalie Fleet, said: “These are hideous cases and the fact that the suspects arrived through illegal routes only underlines their shocking nature.”
