Eight individuals are facing potential jail sentences after being convicted of a people smuggling operation that saw a Vietnamese woman hidden in a car’s glove box at the UK border. The discovery, made in June 2022, has led to a wide-ranging investigation that revealed a criminal network facilitating unlawful immigration into the UK.
The investigation began when Border Force officers discovered the woman hidden in a cramped compartment concealed behind the dashboard of a vehicle. The car, driven by Jozef Balog, had just returned from France, prompting immediate suspicion. Upon further inspection, it became clear that the woman had been smuggled into the country, sparking a larger probe into an organised people smuggling gang.
The investigation, carried out by the Home Office, eventually led to the conviction of three members of the gang, who were found guilty of assisting unlawful immigration to the UK. Redar Curtis, 30, of Kennington, Jozef Kadet, 25, of Manchester, and Khales Akram Jabar, 44, of Middlesbrough, were all convicted at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday. The trio faced a ten-week trial, during which they denied involvement in the smuggling operation.
Between 2022 and 2024, the gang had operated a sophisticated network to facilitate unlawful immigration to the UK by both land and air. The group also engaged in the creation and possession of counterfeit identity documents, which were believed to have been forged in a Greek factory.
Alongside Curtis, Kadet, and Jabar, five other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges related to the smuggling ring. These include brothers Mukhlis Jamal Hamadamin, 43, and Muhamad Jamal Hamadamin, 27, both from Stockport, as well as Yassen Jalal Mohammed, 43, of Huddersfield, Dlawar Omar, 40, of Hull, and Curtis’s wife Emily Etherington, 37, also of Kennington.
Mukhlis Hamadamin admitted to multiple charges, including four counts of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, one count of conspiracy to make fraudulent articles, and possession of an identity document with improper intent. His brother Muhamad pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and one count of possessing an identity document with improper intent. Mohammed, Omar, and Etherington each pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
The discovery of the woman hidden in the car’s glove box led to the unravelling of a far-reaching smuggling network. In addition to the human trafficking operation, investigators also seized counterfeit documents, over 20,000 illicit cigarettes, and £6,000 in cash.
The operation also revealed that the group was using dangerous methods to smuggle individuals, often concealing them in vehicles or using fraudulent documents to facilitate air travel. This operation posed significant risks to the individuals being smuggled, as they were often placed in perilous and cramped conditions, showing little regard for their safety.
In January 2023, Jozef Balog, the driver of the vehicle involved in the initial incident, pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
In a separate incident in July 2022, Border Force officers intercepted another vehicle, driven by Emily Etherington, which was also found to be concealing a woman in the dashboard. This discovery linked Etherington to the wider smuggling operation, leading to a more extensive investigation and further arrests.
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The eight individuals will appear at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on January 29, 2024, where a sentencing date will be set.
Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, commented on the case, saying: “This case shows the ruthless tactics of criminal gangs who smuggle people through Europe and into the UK. They have no regard for human life and exploit vulnerable individuals solely for profit, putting them in incredibly dangerous situations.”
Paul Moran, Chief Immigration Officer at Home Office Immigration Enforcement, added: “Today’s convictions are the result of a complex investigation into organised crime that stretched across Europe. Our teams worked tirelessly to break up this criminal group, which was illegally smuggling non-EU nationals into the UK. This group put profit ahead of people’s safety, facilitating them through dangerous methods in vehicles and by air.”
The sentencing of the eight individuals will mark a significant step in dismantling this dangerous criminal network. It also serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed by people smuggling operations and the need for continued vigilance at the UK’s borders.
