Egyptian Fisherman Sentenced to 25 Years for migrant Smuggling
London – May 17, 2024 – A 42-year-old Egyptian fisherman, Ahmed Ebid, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating a large-scale migrant smuggling operation. Ebid facilitated the illegal crossing of nearly 3,800 migrants from North Africa to Italy. The Judge condemned Ebid’s actions, highlighting the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for profit. Authority sources indicate further details are forthcoming.
Egyptian Fisherman Sentenced to 25 Years for Migrant Smuggling
Ahmed Ebid, a 42-year-old Egyptian fisherman operating from the UK, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in a £12 million illegal boat crossing operation. Ebid facilitated the movement of nearly 3,800 migrants from north Africa to Italy between October 2022 and june 2023, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA). Some of these migrants eventually made their way to Britain.
Key Facts of the Case
- Ebid is the first person in the UK convicted of involvement in people smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Italy.
- He arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2022 after serving five years in Italy for attempted drug smuggling.
- Ebid applied for asylum in the UK but his application was never resolved, leaving him in legal limbo.
- At the time of his arrest, Ebid was residing in Home Office-funded accommodation in southwest London, despite his criminal history.
The Judge’s Verdict
During the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Adam Hiddleston condemned Ebid’s actions, stating that he ruthlessly exploited desperate individuals
and that his primary motivation was to make money out of human trafficking.
The treatment of migrants was horrifying. This was a commercial enterprise, pure and simple. The risk of loss of life was considerable.These were fishing boats,not ferries.
Judge adam Hiddleston, Southwark Crown Court
the court also heard that Ebid exercised a managerial role at a very high level,
including bribing officials and ordering threats of violence against the migrants.
ebid’s Reaction and Arrest Details
Following the sentencing, Ebid protested in the dock, claiming it was unfair
and that he was saving money to bring my family over.
A family member present in the public gallery was visibly distressed.
Ebid’s arrest in 2023 followed an inquiry by Italian security services into satellite phones used by migrants crossing the Mediterranean from libya to Italy.The investigation revealed that some of these phones had also connected to a British mobile number, which the NCA traced back to Ebid. Later, his home was bugged to gather further evidence.
evidence Uncovered by the NCA
The NCA discovered Ebid’s involvement in multiple smuggling operations, transporting thousands of individuals, including men, women, and children, in dangerously overcrowded fishing vessels. Shockingly, ebid instructed an associate to kill and throw migrants with phones into the sea to evade detection.
Ebid, who referred to himself as “Captain Ahmed” on Facebook, had notebooks containing Mediterranean sea navigational details and payment records related to the crossings.
NCA’s Statement
Jacque Beer, regional head of investigation at the NCA, emphasized the cruelty of Ebid’s operation:
Ebid was part of a crime network who preyed upon the desperation of migrants to ship them across the Mediterranean in death trap boats.The cruel nature of his business was demonstrated by the callous way he spoke of throwing migrants into the sea if they didn’t follow his rules. To him they were just a source of profit.
Jacque Beer, Regional Head of Investigation, NCA
