Ruthless gang smuggled 2,000 people, court hears

The gang leader, Tarik Namik from Oldham, was jailed for eight years

Five men have been jailed for a "ruthless" people-smuggling operation involving nearly 2,000 people.

In one case nine people, including five children, were found in a distressed state in a lay-by after being brought from Europe in the back of a lorry.

Manchester Crown Court heard most were ethnic Kurds from Iran and Iraq.

The gang leader, Tarik Namik, 45, from Oldham, was jailed for eight years after admitting conspiracy to help asylum seekers enter the UK.

The organised crime group became subject of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation in 2017.

The NCA said recordings found on Namik's phone suggested he may have been involved in the smuggling of at least 1,900 migrants during a 50-day period, charging each migrant about €1,800 (£1,540).

Working for Namik were Hajar Ahmed, 40, from Manchester, and Soran Saliy, 32, from Stoke-on-Trent, who would help co-ordinate the UK leg of the operation.

Habil Gider, 54, also from Stoke-on-Trent, would act as an escort for some of the migrants once they were in the UK, while Hardi Alizada, 32, from Nottingham, travelled out to Europe to co-ordinate from there.

Hajar Ahmed and Soran Saliy worked to co-ordinate the UK leg of the operation

Namik failed to attend court for the hearing and was sentenced in his absence, a warrant has now been issued for his arrest, the NCA said.

The court heard the gang used two main methods to bring people into the UK, groups of people would be brought in hidden in the back of lorries.

Hardi Alizada and Habil Gider travelled to Europe to co-ordinate the operation from there

Individuals would be smuggled by hiding them in the wind deflector of a lorry's cabin.

In both methods the lorry drivers would be complicit in the smuggling operation.

'Prolific and sophisticated'

At Friday's sentencing hearing, Judge John Potter, said: "You grossly exploited these individuals' unfortunate plight and undermined the security of the UK as you did so.

"You displayed a ruthlessness which in some cases exposed desperate individuals to danger for your own selfish and greedy needs. Offending of this type - exploitative of humans as it is - is viewed with disgust and dismay by many."

Tarik Namik and Hajar Ahmed were pictured by the NCA at a bank in Oldham

The court heard the people smuggled to Skelmersdale made repeated 999 calls and were desperate for food and water when they escaped from the lorry and were taken to hospital.

All defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to help asylum seekers enter the UK.

• Tarik Namik, of Eldon Street, Oldham, was jailed for eight years

• Hajar Namiq Ahmed, of Stockdale Road, Manchester, was jailed for four years and nine months

• Habil Gider, of Emerson Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was jailed for four years and six months

• Soran Ali Kadir Saliy, of Carlyon Place, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was jailed for five years and four months

• Hardi Abdulrahman Alizada, of Potters Hollow, Bulwell, Nottingham received a 16-month sentence

NCA branch commander Richard Harrison said they had "dismantled a prolific and sophisticated crime group".

He added: "The criminal group sought to subvert the UK asylum system for their own financial gain, putting vulnerable migrants - including young children - at great risk by transporting them in the back of lorries or in concealments."

Mike Duffy, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "The criminal organisation took substantial sums of money from vulnerable migrants desperate for a new life, promising to assist them into the country.

"Namik played a leading role in the network and oversaw the movement of a large number of migrants, some of whom, including children, were put in significant danger when being transported concealed in the back of a lorry."