United Kingdom has sanctioned 25 targets involved in alleged people smuggling, under a new financial sanctions regime targeting those facilitating the travel of refugees and migrants across the English Channel via small boats.
The individuals and entities targeted include a small boat supplier in Asia and gang leaders based in the Balkans and North Africa. ‘Middlemen’ putting cash through the hawala money transfer system in the Middle East, which is used in payments linked to Channel crossings, are also targeted.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that it was a “landmark moment in the government’s work to tackle organised immigration crime [and] reduce irregular migration to the UK. From Europe to Asia, we are taking the fight to the people smugglers who enable irregular migration, targeting them wherever they are in the world and making them pay for their actions.”
The move follows legislation being introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to ramp up enforcement powers for police forces and partners to investigate and prosecute people smugglers.
As part of the new sanctions regime, which was introduced two days ago, the government can now freeze assets, impose travel bans and block access to the country’s financial system for individuals and entities involved in enabling irregular migration, without relying on criminal or counterterrorism laws.
Albanian Bledar Lala, leader of the Belgian operations of an organised smuggling group, and a company in China that advertised small boats for people smuggling on an online marketplace are among those sanctioned.
Iraqi-linked people-smuggling
Goran Assad Jalal, formed part of an organised crime group which stowed migrants in refrigerated lorries which crossed the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom on at least ten occasions between January and March 2019.
Hemin Ali Salih, helped smuggle migrants into the UK in the backs of lorries.
Dedawan Dazey, a people-smuggler who runs safe houses for migrants in Northern France before they are smuggled to the United Kingdom.
Roman Ranyaye, an Iraqi people-smuggler responsible for the smuggling of migrants from Asia to Europe.
Azad Khoshnaw, for supplying inflatable boats, onboard motors and other maritime equipment for use in people-smuggling of migrants from France to the UK.
Nuzad Khoshnaw, for equipping gangs in Northern France with outboard motors, inflatable boats, and other maritime equipment for use in people-smuggling to the UK.
Nihad Mohsin Xoshnaw, for providing inflatable boats, outboard motors and other maritime equipment used by migrants to cross the English Channel from France.
Hawala Network
Muhammed Khadir Pirot, a hawala banker who controls payments from people being smuggled from the Kurdistan region of Iraq to Europe via Turkey.
Mariwan Jamal, controls money movements through a Hawala banker, which handles payments to people smugglers from migrants in Iraq.
Rafiq Shaqlaway, involved in hawala banking as an advisor to migrants looking to pay smugglers operating routes into Europe via Turkey.
North African gangs operating in the Balkans
Kazawi Gang, a people-smuggling network which controls people-smuggling routes from North Africa into the EU known to deal out harsh punishments to migrants who are unable to pay.
Tetwani Gang, known as one of the Balkan’s most violent people-smuggling gangs, members are reported to hold migrants for ransom and sexually abuse women unable to pay their fees.
Gangland bosses
Bledar Lala, leads a smuggling ring moving people from Belgium across the English Channel to the UK.
Alen Basil, a former police translator who through violence and intimidation became boss of a large people-smuggling network.
Mohammed Tetwani, the head of the ‘Tetwani’ gang and self-styled “King” of Horgos in Serbia.
Yassine Al Maghribi Al-Kasaoui, the boss of the “Kazawi” gang.
Balkan gangs supplying fake passports
Kavač Gang, a Balkan organised crime organisation known to use fake passports to smuggle its gang members between the Balkans and Turkey.
Škaljari Gang, an organised crime organisation in Montenegro that smuggles criminals between the Balkans and Turkey.
Dalibor Ćurlik, procures fake passports and forged documents for use in the Kavač gang’s people-smuggling.
Almir Jahović, member of the Kavač gang, which is involved in supplying fake passports for smuggling gang members across borders
Marko Petrović, a member of the Kavač gang which sources false identification and passports for use in people-smuggling.
Nikola Vein helps the Škaljari Gang secure fake passports and travel documents for use in people smuggling.
Ratko Živković, a Škaljari Gang associate, which gathers fake passports for the purpose of smuggling gang members across borders.
Dejan Pavlović, a member or close associate of the Škaljari Gang, which supports the manufacture of false identities and passports.
The following company based in China has been designated over the manufacture of inflatable boats being advertised for people smuggling.
Weihai Yamar Outdoors Product Co
You can read additional information here.
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