TWO members of an organised crime group have been jailed for smuggling 41 Syrian nationals into Britain by flights from Belfast by taking advantage of the Common Travel Area.
Mohamed Awad (25), from London, was sentenced to two years and eight months on Tuesday after admitting his part in facilitating unlawful immigration.
Ahmad Omar (40), from Belfast, was jailed for two years at Laganside Crown Court in March after pleading guilty to his role as a paid driver in the criminal enterprise that saw migrants charged up to £5,000 per journey.
The pair were caught following an investigation by the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) unit.
It is estimated that the criminal gang made a profit of over £200,000 for smuggling the Syrian nationals into the UK over a 16-day period in 2021.
They provided the migrants with false identity documents and arranged flights from Belfast to Great Britain, and the court heard how Awad was a "highly trusted operator" who arranged flights for the gang.
Home Office immigration enforcement officers carried out a search of addresses in Belfast and London in March of last year, during which both defendants were arrested and £8,000 in cash and a Nissan Juke vehicle seized.
Following the pair's sentencing for assisting unlawful immigration, CFI deputy director Ben Thomas said: “We are committed to dismantling people-smuggling networks, and will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.
“We would like to thank our policing partners in Northern Ireland who assisted us in this investigation. We will continue to work closely with them to save lives and ensure that people smugglers face the consequences of their despicable crimes.”
He added that the UK and Irish governments continue to work closely through the Cross Border Joint Agency Taskforce to tackle crimes including people smuggling.
