Barzan Majeed, widely known by his alias “Scorpion,” was arrested on Sunday morning in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, following a BBC investigation into his smuggling operations. Majeed has been a key figure in the people-smuggling trade across the English Channel for several years, where he and his gang facilitated the illegal movement of migrants in boats.
The arrest was confirmed by a senior member of the Kurdistan Regional Government, who stated that the operation was conducted without incident outside Majeed’s home. This development marks a significant breakthrough in curbing the activities of one of the most significant smuggling networks between Europe and the UK. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government, discussions will soon be held with European police and prosecutors regarding Majeed’s extradition and further legal actions.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) also acknowledged the arrest, expressing gratitude towards the BBC for highlighting Majeed’s case. The NCA emphasized its commitment to disrupting and dismantling criminal networks involved in smuggling people to the UK.
Majeed, in a prior interview with the BBC, downplayed his role, claiming that others implicated him to reduce their sentences. He portrayed the smuggling as a response to the desperate pleas of migrants seeking to reach the UK.
In October 2022, a Belgian court sentenced Majeed in absentia to 10 years in prison and fined him €968,000 for 121 counts of people-smuggling. At the time, his whereabouts were unknown until the BBC located him.
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