Sentences of up to 15 years in prison were handed down on Tuesday November 5 in Lille against 18 members of a “sprawling” network of smugglers in the Channel, mainly Iraqi-Kurdish, described by the prosecution as “ merchants of the dead.
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“ They are merchants of death », Said the prosecutor while describing the activities of the members of the network. Suspected of having organized more than 10,000 clandestine crossings according to the British authorities, the smugglers crammed passengers into overloaded boats well beyond the theoretical capacities.
Each crossing brought in around 100,000 euros.
In addition to a 15-year prison sentence, the head of the network, a 26-year-old Iraqi, was given a permanent ban from French territory and a fine of 200,000 euros. Already convicted twice in the past, he was evacuated from the courtroom after threatening the interpreters.
The 17 other defendants were sentenced to prison terms and lighter fines. All are also prohibited from staying.
During the investigation carried out by the Europol and Eurojust agencies, material was seized in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Hundreds of life jackets, inflatable boats and boat engines… Which justified the term sprawling network.
Other members of this same network are due to be tried in Belgium next year.
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