Hewa Rahimpur, a 30-year-old Iranian Kurd who was granted leave to remain in the UK in 2020, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Belgian court for leading a gang that smuggled up to 10,000 people across the English Channel. The court in Bruges also ordered him to pay €80,000 (£69,400) in direct profits, though prosecutors believe the total proceeds ran into millions of pounds.
Rahimpur was extradited from the UK to stand trial alongside 19 other men from Germany, one of whom was acquitted. The court described him as the ringleader who coordinated the smuggling operation, receiving money from migrants and passing their names to smugglers in northern France. He reportedly referred to passengers as 'chickens' and threatened violence when profits were at risk.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Rahimpur's network was responsible for up to a tenth of illegal Channel crossings at its peak, and his arrest in May 2022 led to a dip in small boat crossings. Passengers were charged between £3,000 and £6,000 per place, generating up to £260,000 per boat. The court noted aggravating factors including the vulnerability of victims, some children, and the danger posed by poor-quality boats and life jackets.
Craig Turner, the NCA's deputy director of investigations, said: 'Rahimpur was one of the most significant individuals that was running criminal groups involved in small boats crossings. We estimate that his network was involved in smuggling about 10,000 people into the United Kingdom.' The case was described by the West Flanders prosecutor's office as the 'biggest ever people smuggling investigation', involving the seizure of 60 inflatable boats, hundreds of lifejackets, and thousands of euros.
