Migrant smugglers to be shamed in FBI-style 'Most Wanted list' to 'mobilise a coalition stretching from the Midlands to Kurdistan'

The new list will mirror approaches used by the FBI and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which maintains a public page displaying mugshots of dangerous traffickers operating across the US-Mexico border.

About half of the individuals identified so far are based in the UK, though they frequently move between Britain and Europe.

Their wider networks extend as far as Kurdistan, home to some of the largest people-smuggling operations. The intelligence gathered will be shared with European, Iraqi and Kurdish security partners.

One striking case is that of Amanj Hasan Zada, who investigators tracked down after finding a YouTube video where musicians praised him as "the best smuggler" while he threw cash and fired a gun in celebration.

NCA officers discovered his social media accounts advertising migrant smuggling services across Europe to the UK.

Arrested in Preston in May 2024, Zada received a 17-year sentence after being found guilty of three charges of facilitating illegal immigration.

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Zada's arrest led to a major breakthrough in an international investigation targeting a network of people smugglers moving migrants from the Middle East to Europe and the UK.

This intelligence enabled Kurdish police to make three arrests in January, marking the first significant result of the UK's border security deal with Iraq signed in late 2024.

A Home Office source said: "The objective is to mobilise a coalition stretching from police in the West Midlands to security forces in Kurdistan going after the Mister Bigs of the small boats trade."

Another breakthrough came with the arrest of Hussam al-Ramli, 35, in Wolverhampton last November as part of a separate NCA operation.

Nicknamed the "Bilston gentleman" for his politeness during the raid, Ramli is allegedly part of a Syrian network responsible for smuggling at least 750 migrants into the UK and Germany.

In Amsterdam, authorities arrested a 44-year-old Turkish man dubbed the "Engine King" for supplying dinghies and engines used in Channel crossings.

Home Office sources credit his arrest for a temporary dip in crossings.

The most wanted list forms part of a wider project to build comprehensive intelligence mapping of smuggling-gang activity across multiple agencies.

Dan Barcroft, the NCA's head of organised immigration crime, noted that while most criminal networks operate overseas, their UK connections create vulnerabilities.

"Putting heat on them and really letting them know that we're right behind them, that we're coming for them" is one benefit of public wanted lists, Barcroft explained.

He added that such lists can increase public confidence "as you pick them off the list".

The upcoming global organised immigration crime conference at Lancaster House in London will bring these challenges to the forefront.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure over his pledge to "smash the gangs" amid record crossings.

So far this year, 6,642 migrants have arrived in 119 boats, with more than 4,000 crossing in March alone.

Representatives from over 40 countries will attend, including China, where many small boats originate.