London (UK), May 20 (LaPresse/AP) – A London court has sentenced an Egyptian national to 25 years in prison for human trafficking from North Africa to Italy. Ahmed Ebid, who arrived in the UK in October 2022 after crossing the English Channel in a small boat, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Adam Hiddleston found that Ebid played a key role in an organized criminal group and was primarily motivated by the "desire to make money" from human smuggling.
Between his arrival in the UK and June 2023, the 42-year-old was involved in at least seven separate crossings as part of an operation that earned the group £12 million (€14 million) and transported 3,781 people—including children—from North Africa to Italian waters. “Vulnerable people were transported on long sea journeys in poorly equipped fishing boats completely unsuitable for carrying such large numbers,” said Tim Burton, specialist prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service. “His repeated involvement in facilitating these dangerous crossings showed a complete disregard for the safety of thousands of people whose lives were put at serious risk.”
The UK’s National Crime Agency cited testimonies from some individuals who illegally entered the UK, stating that Ebid even told an accomplice to kill and throw overboard anyone found on board with a mobile phone during the crossings. “Ebid exploited the migrants’ desperation by transporting them across the Mediterranean on vessels that were nothing short of death traps,” said Jacque Beer of the agency.
© Copyright LaPresse
