Ahmed Ebid, an Egyptian fisherman, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison

Ahmed Ebid, an Egyptian fisherman, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for organizing the smuggling of more than 3,000 migrants across the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Italy. This is the first conviction in the UK for such a crime involving the Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Italy. The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimated the operation to be worth £12 million.

Ebid had previously spent five years in an Italian jail for attempted drug smuggling and had applied for asylum in the UK but had not received a decision, leaving him in legal limbo. He had been living in Home Office-funded accommodation in London at the time of his arrest.

During the trial, the court heard that Ebid played a high-level managerial role, bribing officials and even ordering violent threats against migrants. He was found to have used satellite phones to coordinate the crossings and had instructed an associate to kill and dispose of any migrants caught with their own phones to avoid detection.

The NCA's investigation linked Ebid to the smuggling network through a British mobile number used by migrants to contact the Italian coastguard. Notebooks found in his home contained navigational details and records of payments for the crossings.

Ebid admitted to facilitating illegal immigration but denied the extent of his involvement. The harsh sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and the risks posed by the human smuggling operations he managed. The NCA emphasized that his actions demonstrated a clear disregard for human life, treating migrants as commodities for profit.
BBC News