A ruthless people smuggling ring funneling hundreds of migrants into the UK has been smashed after a yacht packed with migrants crashed off Sussex.
Smuggler Identified After Dramatic Yacht Incident
In February 2022, a yacht carrying 14 migrants — including two children — ran aground near Rye. Those on board hailed from Iran, Iraq, and Albania. The migrants were swiftly detained by Border Force officers.
Crucially, phone footage uncovered identified Mohammed Ali Nareman, 37, from London, as the smuggler known as “Hama Kalari”. Despite being declared unfit for trial due to severe mental health issues, including PTSD and depression, a Maidstone Crown Court jury concluded Nareman masterminded numerous people smuggling offences. The case was heard as a trial of facts.
European Trafficking Network Exposed
Investigators linked Nareman to Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth, who ran a vast trafficking network moving migrants across Europe. The network smuggled people from Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo, Bosnia, Romania, and Hungary using small boats, trucks, and the occasional yacht.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) seized phones with damning digital proof — maps of the French and British coastlines, photos of migrant passports, and videos flaunting £50,000 in cash. One phone was hidden inside a child’s play tent, packed with further incriminating messages.
Prices Soar, Brutality Revealed
- Migrants paid between £800 and £1,000 to enter the EU.
- UK crossings cost from £1,650 up to a staggering £24,000.
Karim’s phone revealed a failed smuggling attempt at Calais in November 2022, where two Iraqis were found hidden in a lorry. Their chilling messages showed their total lack of empathy. One voice note suggested kicking an intoxicated passenger in the head and dumping them in a dinghy.
Justice on the Horizon
Karim was arrested in Portsmouth in March 2024 and pleaded guilty to people smuggling charges by June. Both men will remain behind bars until sentencing on 8 January 2026.
Rachel Bramley from the NCA said: “Mohammed Ali Nareman was extremely prolific in the criminal world of people smuggling. His messages with Karim and others showed the group’s disdain for the people they transported – they were seen as nothing more than a commodity to make money from.
Tackling organised immigration crime remains a top priority for the NCA. We are currently leading around 100 investigations into the most harmful smuggling networks operating across Europe and the UK.”
