Earth Science News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
French court jails 18 members of Channel people smuggling gang
French court jails 18 members of Channel people smuggling gang
By Laurent GESLIN
Lille, France (AFP) Nov 5, 2024

A French court on Tuesday issued prison terms of up to 15 years to 18 people, mainly Iraqi Kurds, convicted of forming a vast gang to smuggle migrants aboard small boats across the Channel to England.

The investigation found that this particular network, between 2020 and 2022, had great control over migrant crossings from France to England, which have cost dozens of lives in the last years.

The stiffest sentence of 15 years in prison was given to Iraqi national Mirkhan Rasoul, 26, who was accused of being the leader of the network and coordinating its actions from his French prison cell after previous convictions.

The sentences issued by the court in the northern city of Lille for the other 17 accused, who included one woman, ranged from one to 12 years in jail.

Wearing a black quilted gilet and sporting a dark beard, Rasoul listened calmly in the glass defendants' box to his sentence being pronounced by the judge.

Already convicted twice for aiding illegal residence in France, he had been expelled from the hearing on the third day of the trial in October after threatening interpreters.

Arrest warrants have been issued for nine of the other defendants who were convicted in absentia.

"The defendants are not volunteers helping their fellow humans but merchants of death," the prosecutor said during the trial, describing how boats were loaded with passengers "up to 15 times their theoretical capacity".

More than 50 searches led to the seizure of 1,200 life jackets, nearly 150 inflatable boats and 50 boat engines, during operations carried out jointly by France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain, coordinated by the Europol and Eurojust agencies.

- 'Sole motive was profit' -

Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement that one of the men convicted had been arrested by British authorities and extradited to France for the trial.

Kaiwan Poore, 40, was detained by British officers at Manchester Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Turkey in July 2022. He was given a five-year sentence by the Lille court.

The NCA said that each single crossing of migrants from France to England stood to net the criminal network around 100,000 euros ($109,000) in profit.

British and French authorities are seeking to improve cooperation to stop the people-smuggling networks, after several years where post-Brexit tensions appeared to hamper attempts to tackle the problem.

The NCA said a number of those convicted in the trial had been identified thanks to the Joint Intelligence Cell, a specialist British-French unit based in northern France set up to target people smugglers.

"Their sole motive was profit, and they didn't care about the fate of migrants they were putting to sea in wholly inappropriate and dangerous boats," said NCA Deputy Director Craig Turner.

He said the network was "among the most prolific we have come across" in terms of the number of crossings.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to "smash the gangs" behind the trade and said people smuggling should be put on a par with global terrorism.

According to the latest provisional statistics, nearly 32,000 undocumented migrants arrived in Britain after crossing the Channel in small boats this year.

At least 60 people have died trying to make the crossing.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Smart-Connect advances space tech for disaster response solutions
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 03, 2024
During disaster situations, effective communication becomes essential, but often ground networks are compromised. This issue leaves both the general public and emergency responders with limited access to critical information. Bandwidth shortages can significantly delay emergency operations, leading to loss of life. Recent calamities such as severe floods and wildfires highlight the growing necessity for advanced technologies that enhance disaster response. To address this, the European Space Agenc ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
French court jails 18 members of Channel people smuggling gang

Flood mishandling fuels fury at Spain royals, PM: experts

Having weathered Trump's first term, UN braces for more turmoil

Spain unveils $11 bn aid plan after catastrophic floods

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
New laser technology speeds up landmine detection process

New 3D printed metal alloy enhances durability for space exploration

Laser measurements aid in tracking space debris and mapping Earth's water resources

To tackle plastic scourge, Philippines makes companies pay

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
New UMass model sheds light on carbon emissions from inland US waters

Thousands take to London streets demanding cleaner water

No 'island of garbage' here, Puerto Rico's new marine reserve

Oceanographers record the largest predation event ever observed in the ocean

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
The shifting history of North America's ancient ice sheet

Greenland eyes tourism takeoff with new airport runway

Austria's Alpine refuges and trails crumble as climate warms

Greenland seeks to capitalise on 'last-chance tourism'

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Making agriculture more resilient to climate change

France says still room for negotiation over China's brandy tariffs

Surf and Turf: Oregon State researchers to study feeding seaweed to cattle

Czech Republic curbs animal movement over bluetongue spread

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Rafael cuts power in Cuba; Thousands flee Typhoon Yinxing in Philippines

Newly detected seismic wave may enable earlier warnings for remote oceanic eruptions

Cuba on alert as Hurricane Rafael approaches

More than 66,000 Cubans evacuated over flooding fears

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
East DR Congo truce monitors to begin operations Tuesday

UK FM Lammy vows 'new approach' ahead of Africa trip

Chad denies anti-jihadist operation hit civilians

Guinea junta chief promotes self to army general

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Gentrification Fuels Alienation Among East Asian Urban Residents, Study Finds

Colombia's Awa people resist violence, maintain 'spiritual bond' with nature

A SMART method to enhance effectiveness of cartilage repair therapy

Artificial intelligence forms external cognitive system, reshaping human thought processes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.