London Court Sentences Egyptian Man to 25 Years for Smuggling Migrants to Italy

A London court has handed down a 25-year prison sentence to Egyptian national Ahmed Ebid for his involvement in smuggling individuals from North Africa to Italy. Ebid, who illegally entered the U.K. in October 2022, admitted to conspiring to aid unlawful immigration at the Southwark Crown Court. Described as a key figure in an organized crime syndicate, Ebid’s primary objective was profiting from human trafficking operations, according to Judge Adam Hiddleston. Over the period from his arrival until June 2023, the 42-year-old was linked to seven separate boat crossings, part of a lucrative £12 million ($16 million) scheme that transported 3,781 individuals, including minors, across the Mediterranean Sea to Italian shores. Testimonies from those who entered the U.K. illicitly revealed that Ebid instructed an associate to eliminate and dispose of any migrant found in possession of a mobile phone. Jacque Beer of Britain’s National Crime Agency condemned Ebid’s exploitation of vulnerable migrants, characterizing his actions as preying on their desperation to embark on perilous sea journeys. The Crown Prosecution Service’s specialist prosecutor, Tim Burton, criticized Ebid’s repeated involvement in facilitating hazardous crossings, highlighting the severe risks faced by thousands of lives due to his reckless behavior. The case drew attention to a specific incident on October 25, 2022, where over 640 individuals were rescued by Italian authorities after a treacherous voyage on a wooden boat across the Mediterranean, resulting in tragic fatalities. (Source: Africa News)