Suspected members of people smuggling network arrested in dawn raids
Five men have been arrested and charged after more than 200 North African migrants, including children, were discovered in lorry trailers travelling from the UK to France last year.
National Crime Agency (NCA) officers, leading the ongoing investigation, descended on properties across London in a series of dawn raids to arrest five men yesterday morning.
Madjid Belabes, 52, of Camberwell Grove, Camberwell, Said Bouazza, 54, of Oxestalls Road, Surrey Quays and Samir Zerguine, 51, of Flint Street Walworth, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today, charged with conspiracy to facilitate the illegal entry of a person into an EU country, namely France.
Mourad Bouchlagehem, 43, of Weymouth Terrace, Hoxton and Mohammed Mabrouk, 44, of Hall Place, Paddington, were also charged with the same offence.
One of five men is suspected of being a high-ranking member of the people smuggling crime network, according to the NCA.
The other four are accused of transporting migrants in cars and vans to be loaded into lorries.
The arrests were made after more than 200 North African migrants, including children, were discovered in lorry trailers travelling from the UK to France on separate occasions in 2023.
Twenty people have been arrested as part of the investigation to date, including five men who have since been convicted and jailed for transporting migrants.
Chris Hill, NCA branch commander, said: “These arrests represent a key moment in our ongoing investigation into a large-scale criminal network responsible for smuggling North African migrants from the UK to France.
“People smugglers don’t care about the safety or wellbeing of human beings they transport, whether it is in boats or HGVs. They’re driven solely by profits.
“People leaving the UK in lorries may be doing so because they are wanted by law enforcement, they may be trying to dodge French immigration checks, or they may be being trafficked or exploited.
“The risks to both the people being transported and to border security remains, regardless of the direction they are travelling in.”
Pictured top: NCA officers make an arrest during the dawn raids yesterday morning (Picture: NCA)