Alleged "Godfather" of Migrant Camps Arrested in UK After BBC Investigation

An Iraqi national, identified as Twana Jamal Khdir, has been arrested and charged with immigration offenses in the United Kingdom. Khdir, who was previously convicted in France for people smuggling and described by authorities there as “the godfather” of French migrant camps, was found to be living in Leicestershire, according to a BBC investigation.

The BBC had revealed last month that Khdir was residing in the UK, despite his past conviction. He was apprehended on Tuesday near Uppingham in a collaborative operation involving the Midlands Criminal Financial Investigations team and Leicestershire Police.

Khdir appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where he faced charges from the Crown Prosecution Service. He entered a guilty plea for entering the UK without valid entry clearance but pleaded not guilty to charges related to attempting to gain leave to enter or remain in the UK through deception.

Previously, in 2016, Khdir received a five-year prison sentence in France. At the time of his sentencing, prosecutors stated that the 36-year-old Iraqi Kurd was earning as much as £100,000 weekly by facilitating the illegal movement of migrants across the English Channel.

He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear next at Leicester Crown Court on October 5th.

Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/365261/people-smuggler-exposed-by-bbc-investigation-arrested-and-charged