Portsmouth Man Jailed for Smuggling Hundreds of Migrants into UK
Ali Omar Karim, 47, from Portsmouth, has been sentenced to eight years and seven months behind bars. He was caught running a vast migrant smuggling ring across northern Europe and the Middle East. Karim admitted guilt in a National Crime Agency (NCA) sting in July 2024.
Huge Fees Raked in from Serbia to UK Routes
Confiscated phone records revealed Karim masterminded the movement of migrants from Serbia, Turkey, Kosovo, and Bosnia. They were smuggled across Romanian and Hungarian borders hidden inside HGV lorries.
- Migrants paid between £800 and £1,000 just to enter the EU.
- On top of that, fees skyrocketed for crossing from France to the UK.
- One November 2022 message described charging £1,650 per passenger for a lorry crossing.
- A January 2023 voice note arranged a whopping £24,000 for two migrants, complete with backup plans for Dover catch attempts.
- Karim also organised multiple dinghy crossings, showing the empire’s massive scale.
Judge Condemns Karim as the ‘Kingpin’ of Smuggling
Karim was arrested in Portsmouth in March 2024 and pleaded guilty three months later. On 25 February, the judge branded him as playing a “leading role” in the ruthless smuggling operation.
NCA Branch Commander Rachel Bramley said: “Karim was a key player in an organised crime group moving people by HGV, small boats, yachts and planes. He controlled crossing days, routes and prices. Tackling organised immigration crime is one of our top priorities. We will keep hunting down these networks wherever they operate.”
