UK Arrests Afghan People Smugglers Convicted of Migrant Abuse

Three Afghan nationals, part of a smuggling gang convicted in Belgium for abusing migrants, face extradition to serve prison sentences.

Three Afghan men convicted in Belgium for people smuggling and sexual abuse of migrant boys were arrested in the UK this month.
The gang smuggled thousands of migrants, including children, from Afghanistan through Europe into the UK, often via small boats across the Channel.
Victims, including minors, were subjected to severe sexual abuse, with footage of the assaults used for blackmail and coercion into further exploitation.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), in collaboration with Belgian authorities, spent two years building evidence against the gang, leading to the conviction of 23 members in Belgium.
The arrested men now face extradition to Belgium to serve sentences ranging from three to ten years, with fines also imposed.