Nine members of a people smuggling network have been sentenced to a total of 64 years in prison over a small boat crossing which left four people dead and another four missing.
The nine, seven Afghan nationals and two Iraqis, were convicted of offences including involuntary manslaughter, endangering lives and facilitating illegal entry following a trial in Lille, northern France. One of the men was tried in his absence after fleeing France before trial.
On Monday 30 June the judge handed the Afghan ringleader of the gang an eight-year jail term. The others were sentenced to seven years each.
It followed a criminal investigation, led by the French police agency OLTIM under the direction of the JIRS court of Lille and supported by the National Crime Agency, into an incident on 14 December 2022, when a boat carrying 47 people got into trouble in the English Channel.
Four people were confirmed to have died, while another four were never found.
The survivors were rescued up by a British fishing vessel and brought to shore in Dover.
The NCA and Kent Police worked with the French authorities to identify those responsible for putting the boat in the water, providing crucial intelligence and evidence to French investigators. This included interviews with the survivors.
One man, Senegalese national Ibrahima Bah, 20, was later convicted in the UK of piloting the boat. His trial, at Canterbury Crown Court, heard how the “death trap” dinghy was heavily overloaded, and only had space for around 20 people. Many of those on board did not have life-jackets.
He was jailed for nine years in February 2024.
NCA Deputy Director Rick Jones said:
“This was a tragic event which sadly demonstrated the extreme danger involved in putting overloaded boats into the sea.
“While our thoughts remain with the loved ones of those who died, I’m glad that those who organised this crossing have now been brought to justice.
“The gangs involved in this type of criminality have no concern for the welfare or safety of those they transport, they’re just in it for the money. This is why targeting, disrupting and dismantling these networks is a key priority for the NCA and our partners.”
30 June 2025
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