In the first joint law enforcement operation between U.K. authorities and their counterparts in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), three men suspected of trafficking Iraqi migrants to Europe were arrested in Sulaymaniyah, on the KRI’s east, officials reported.
The suspects are believed to have organized the smuggling of up to 1,000 migrants over several years, primarily to Greece and Italy aboard yachts, according to a statement from the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Each vessel reportedly carried 60 to 70 people, who were then moved on to northern Europe or the U.K.
The three suspects, identified as a coordinator, a banker, and a middleman, are accused of being part of a network linked to Amanj Hassan Zada, a U.K.-based smuggler from Preston, Lancashire, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison in November 2024 after being convicted of facilitating illegal immigration.
Zada, who advertised his services on social media under the name Amanj Zaman, gained notoriety by sharing videos of migrants thanking him for helping them cross borders illegally. His network is believed to have used over a dozen yachts to transport migrants on perilous journeys across Europe.
“More than 70 people lost their lives attempting to cross the Channel in small boats in 2024,” said NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke, who traveled to the KRI to assist with the operation. “This deadly trade must stop.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper commended the operation, calling it a significant achievement in tackling smuggling networks across Europe. She noted that the first concrete results had been achieved less than two months after U.K. and Iraqi authorities signed a law enforcement cooperation agreement.
“By sharing the expertise of our Border Security Command, enhancing intelligence-sharing, and providing additional funding to support Iraq’s law enforcement capabilities, we are able to target the people smuggling gangs at source,” Cooper said.
The NCA said it is pursuing about 70 active investigations into networks or individuals involved in high-level organized immigration crime and human trafficking. These cases target those causing the most harm and operating at the top of the smuggling trade.
