UK arrests suspected migrant boat ‘kingpin’
May 5, 2022, 6:54 am

UK arrests suspected migrant boat ‘kingpin’

UK-English Channel/Pixabay

The Arab News reported, citing the AFP, the UK’s National Crime Agency announced Wednesday (May 4) it had arrested the suspected leader of an international criminal operation supplying small boats to people smugglers taking migrants across the Channel.

The numbers of migrants crossing the busy shipping lane from northern France is at record levels, prompting a UK crackdown, including controversial proposals to send those arriving to Rwanda.

The NCA said it had arrested “alleged small boats kingpin” Hewa Rahimpur, originally from Iran, at his workplace in east London, following a joint operation by UK and Belgian law enforcement agencies.

It said Rahimpur, 29, was wanted in Belgium on suspicion of being the leading figure in a network that prosecutors there say is involved in “supplying significant numbers of small boats to people smugglers.”

Migrants arrive onboard a Border Force vessel into Dover Harbor after being rescued while crossing the English Channel in Dover, Britain, May 3, 2022. (Reuters)

It tweeted footage of agents snapping handcuffs on the man as he sat in a black Mercedes car.

NCA deputy director of investigations Jacque Beer said in a statement: “Rahimpur stands accused of being a major player in what we would say is one of the most significant criminal networks involved in supplying boats to people smugglers."

UK-Rwanda asylum seekers deal faces first legal challenge

“Many of the criminal gangs involved in these crossings are based outside of the UK, but where we do find they have a UK footprint we will act swiftly to disrupt and dismantle them.”

Rahimpur is accused of sourcing boats in Turkey and getting them delivered to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

He then allegedly directed members of his organization to take them to the Channel coast in northern France for use by migrants.

Is the UK right to send migrants to Rwanda?

He will appear in court in London Thursday for the start of extradition proceedings.

The UK agency, his arrest followed close co-operation between the NCA, the Europol Migrant Smuggling Center and its counterparts in Belgium.

In West Flanders, Belgium, prosecutor Frank Demeester said: “The Belgian police and judiciary invest a lot of capacity in the fight against human smuggling, and we will continue to do so in co-operation with our partners in the neighboring countries.”

UK draws up plan to detain male migrants who try to cross English Channel

The NCA has repeatedly appealed to the UK maritime industry to look out for purchases of boats and equipment by organized criminal gangs.

Andrea Wilson, the NCA’s deputy director of organized immigration crime, said: “One of the ways we are seeking to disrupt these people smuggling networks is through targeting their supply of boats."

Source: arabnews

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken tests positive for COVID-19 WHO: COVID cases continue to fall, except in Americas and Africa

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”