English Channel People-Smuggling ‘Kingpin’ Facing Extradition to Belgium

A drone photo showing a group of illegal immigrants react as they succeeded to get on an inflatable dinghy, to leave the coast of northern France and to cross the English Channel, in Wimereux near Calais, France, on Dec. 16, 2021. Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

A suspected “kingpin” of people-smuggling operations across the English Channel has been arrested and is facing extradition.

Iranian Hewa Rahimpur was detained by officers in east London on Wednesday afternoon, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.