Seven Afghan nationals have been charged with rape and child sexual abuse offences as part of an investigation into group-based child exploitation in Norwich, Norfolk police said. The men are accused of committing sexual offences between August 2023 and May 2025.
Police stated that five of the men entered the UK via small boats, one concealed in a lorry, and the seventh attempted to enter clandestinely via Portsmouth ferry port. The defendants appeared before Norwich Magistrates' Court on Friday and were remanded in custody until a plea hearing at Norwich Crown Court on 19 June.
The charges include multiple counts of rape, human trafficking, conspiracy to commit child sexual abuse, and perverting the course of justice. The suspects 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. The charges relate to two alleged victims aged in their early to mid-teens.
Norfolk police conducted raids on seven addresses on Wednesday, six in Norwich and one in Dumbarton, Scotland, leading to seven arrests. An eighth suspect, a 19-year-old, was arrested in Ireland and is subject to extradition proceedings. Police confirmed that none of the charged men lived in asylum hotels and no alleged offending occurred in such hotels.
Detective Superintendent Stacey Murray, leading the investigation, said: 'I want to reassure everyone that we are being meticulous in our approach to this investigation.' The minister for safeguarding, Natalie Fleet, commented: 'These are hideous cases and the fact that the suspects arrived through illegal routes only underlines their shocking nature.'
