A key member of a brutal Afghan people-smuggling network, which subjected young migrants to rape and blackmail, has been removed from the United Kingdom to face justice in Europe.
Vile Crimes and International Justice
Zeeshan Banghis, 21, also known as Bangash, was arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) extradition officers in December 2024. This followed his conviction in absentia by a Belgian court. After a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, he has now been extradited to Belgium to serve a three-year prison sentence imposed in November 2024.
His associate, Saifur Rahman Ahmedzai, 24, received a ten-year sentence at the same trial and was extradited to Belgium in June 2024. Both men, Afghan nationals, were also fined 3,000 euros (£2,601).
A Network of Exploitation
The pair played a crucial role in a sprawling criminal gang that organised the transport of migrants from Afghanistan through Iran, Turkey, and the Balkans into Western Europe, including France and Belgium. Thousands of people are suspected to have been moved by the network, with many placed on small boats for the dangerous crossing from northern France to the UK.
The gang's depravity extended far beyond smuggling. Other members filmed themselves raping young male migrants. This footage was then used to blackmail the victims, forcing them into further criminal activity and sexual abuse.
In a landmark case in November 2024, an Antwerp court convicted Banghis, Ahmedzai, and 21 other gang members, handing down a total of 170 years in prison. Sentences ranged from two to 18 years. Eleven members, including the two arrested in the UK, were tried in their absence.
UK Law Enforcement's Crucial Role
NCA investigators supported the Belgian probe for approximately two years, providing vital intelligence and evidence to the Belgian Federal Police regarding suspected network members. Officers also collaborated with Border Force and Immigration Enforcement to identify and conduct safeguarding checks for migrants and victims transported to the UK.
Ahmedzai was apprehended by NCA officers in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on 30 December 2024. Banghis was arrested at an address on New Kent Road, Southwark, on 18 December 2024.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA's National Extradition Unit, stated: "This gang operated across the globe and piled misery on migrants they transported, all for the sake of making a profit. Many of these people would have been extremely vulnerable, which makes it all the more shocking that disgraceful sexual offences were committed against some of them."
He added that the extraditions send a "very strong message that work to disrupt and dismantle the gangs behind this horrendous trade will never slow down."
Government Condemnation and Pledge
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the case as "nothing short of sickening." She praised the NCA, Border Force, and Immigration Enforcement for their dedication in "pursuing these vile criminal gangs, safeguarding victims of exploitation and protecting our borders."
Cooper emphasised the government's commitment to closer international collaboration, citing recent agreements with Iraq and Germany, and work through the Calais Group. She highlighted the new Border Security Command and a £150 million investment as part of the effort to "stop at nothing to protect our borders from people-smuggling gangs."
