People-smuggling suspect facing extradition bid
Polish police and the NCA carried out an arrest in Wolverhampton
- Published
A man arrested in Wolverhampton on suspicion of being involved a people-smuggling network is facing extradition proceedings.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said 35-year-old Iraqi national Hussam Al Ramli was detained at his home in Bilston on Wednesday.
He is suspected of arranging for migrants to cross the border illegally from Belarus to Poland, and then their onward journey to the Poland-Germany border.
He is also accused of advertising the service on the internet.
Polish police officers accompanied the NCA in Wolverhampton as Mr Al Ramli was detained.
He appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on the same day to face extradition proceedings to Poland and was remanded in custody, the NCA said.
He will appear before the same court again next Wednesday.
Man arrested in people smuggling investigation
NCA Director of Investigations John Denley said the arrest was part of a major operation to target "a dangerous and harmful international people-smuggling network".
The German-led operation targeting a Syrian organised crime group described by the NCA as "one of Europe’s most significant people-smuggling networks" saw at least 20 arrests in raids across Europe on Wednesday.
Police in Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia were part of the operation.
It is claimed those detained smuggled at least 750 Syrian migrants into the UK and Germany, charging each person between €4,500 and €12,000 (£3,750 to £10,000).
The route through Europe took the migrants through the Balkans and Eastern Europe to Germany.
The NCA said that in some cases, about 100 people were moved at a time.
From Germany, those continuing to the UK were transported through the Netherlands and onwards in boats or lorries.
Mr Denley said: "Tackling people smuggling is a key priority for the NCA, and we are putting more resource into targeting, disrupting and dismantling the groups behind it than ever before."
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: "We will stop at nothing to root out criminal networks wherever we find them."
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