Suspected 'high ranking' people smuggler arrested

Mr suspect was arrested in Rusholme last Thursday, the NCA said

A suspected "high ranking" member of a people smuggling gang who was wanted in Germany has been arrested in Manchester.

The 41-year-old was arrested in the Rusholme area of the city by extradition officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The NCA said he is suspected of 17 different charges including operating crossings across the Mediterranean and arranging false documentation for illegal arrivals.

He was held on 13 November and taken to Westminster Magistrates where extradition proceedings began, and is is next due to appear on at the same court on Friday.

The NCA said the man is suspected of orchestrating crossings from Libya into Europe between August 2022 and July 2024.

Each migrant would be charged around $6,000 (£4,563), it said.

'Key ally'

He is understood to have entered the UK on a small boat in 2024 under a false identity.

In March 2025 the Germans issued a warrant for his arrest and, following intelligence that he had entered the UK, passed the case on to the NCA.

Andy Kelly from the NCA's Joint International Crime Centre said: "Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA, and we are working with partners across Europe to target those suspected of involvement.

"People smuggling is an international issue and Germany is a key ally in the fight against the criminal networks who put lives at risk for their own profit."