People smuggler exposed by BBC investigation arrested and charged

Former French People Smuggler Charged After BBC Investigation Traces Him to Leicestershire

Arrest and Court Appearance

Ninoda.com – Twana Jamal Khdir, an Iraqi national previously convicted of people smuggling in France, was taken into custody on Tuesday near Uppingham following a coordinated operation. The Midlands Criminal Financial Investigations team led the action, backed up by Leicestershire Police. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently brought charges against him, and he was brought before Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon.

At that hearing, Khdir admitted entering the country without valid entry clearance. He contested the separate count alleging he had sought to obtain leave to enter or remain by deceptive means. The court remanded him in custody; his next scheduled appearance is at Leicester Crown Court on 5 October.

Background: The French Conviction

In 2016, French authorities handed Khdir a five-year prison sentence, describing him as one of the most successful people smugglers ever apprehended. At the time of his trial, the Iraqi Kurd was 36 years old. Prosecutors alleged he had been earning as much as £100,000 per week for ferrying illegal immigrants across the English Channel.

“the godfather” of the French migrant camps

That was how he had been characterised in connection with the camps along France’s coast.

BBC Discovery

Last month, the BBC reported that Khdir had been located living in the UK, specifically in Leicestershire. The revelation prompted the joint enforcement operation that led to his arrest and the subsequent charges now before the courts.