People smuggler jailed for role in £12.3m operation

A man who played a leading role in an organised crime group (OCG) which smuggled thousands of migrants has today been jailed.

Between October 2022 and June 2023, Ahmed Ramadan Mohamad Ebid, 42, from the UK conspired with others outside the UK to assist unlawful immigration by supplying maritime vessels for the purpose of illegally smuggling migrants from Libya to Italy.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted Ebid following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) with the assistance of Italian law enforcement and judicial authorities, particularly the District Anti-mafia Prosecution Office in Messina.

Ebid, of Isleworth, was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court on 20 May 2025.

The criminal network advertised crossings on Facebook, charging migrants an average of £3,273 per person.

During the offending period, authorities intercepted seven crossings involving 3,781 migrants. The OCG is calculated to have made more than £12,300,000 from this operation.

The prosecution used a range of evidence to build a strong case against the defendant, resulting in him pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful migration to a member state.

Ebid entered a basis of plea, claiming that his primary motivation was humanitarian and that he was a low-ranking member of the network.

The prosecution did not accept this basis of plea, and following a Newton hearing – a trial of the disputed facts - on 28 March 2025, the court concluded that Ebid was involved, for personal gain, at a very high level in the operation.

Ebid sourced and provided boats and crews for the illegal crossings, provided technical advice to the crews during the crossings, housed migrants prior to the crossings, and dealt with any required paperwork.

Tim Burton, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Ahmed Ebid played a leading role in a sophisticated operation, which breached immigration laws and endangered lives, for his own and others’ financial gain.

“Vulnerable people were transported on long sea journeys in ill-equipped fishing vessels completely unsuitable for carrying the large number of passengers who were on board. His repeated involvement in helping to facilitate these dangerous crossings showed a complete disregard for the safety of thousands of people, whose lives were put at serious risk.

“The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work tirelessly with law enforcement and international partners, including the Border Security Command, to disrupt people smuggling networks and bring those who profit from this exploitative trade to justice.”

Sally Cullen, CPS Liaison Prosecutor for Italy, said: “We would like to thank the National Anti-mafia and Counter Terrorism Prosecution Office in Rome and the District Anti-mafia Prosecution Office in Messina for their outstanding contribution to the successful outcome of this case. The CPS’ International Unit will continue to work closely with colleagues in Italy and across Europe to combat organised immigration crime.”

Jacque Beer, National Crime Agency (NCA) Regional Head of Investigation, said: “Ebid was part of a crime network who preyed upon the desperation of migrants to ship them across the Mediterranean in death trap boats.

“The cruel nature of his business was demonstrated by the callous way he spoke of throwing migrants into the sea if they didn’t follow his rules. To him they were just a source of profit.

“He was based in the UK but organising crossings from north Africa. A proportion of those he moved to Italy would also have ended up in northern Europe, attempting to cross the Channel to the UK.

“Working with our partners in Italy we were able to evidence his role in organising boats and the migrants to go in them.

“People smuggling is an international crime and, working with our partners both home and abroad, we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved.”