One of the most notorious smugglers in Europe nicknamed 'The Scorpion' has been detained in a sting in Iraq.
Barzan Kamal Majeed has been arrested in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdish region of the country, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has confirmed, after an "exchange of intelligence" prompted by an Interpol request. Majeed has been high on the wanted list since 2022, when he was convicted in his absence in Belgium of people smuggling crimes.
The conviction came following a joint investigation by UK and Belgian detectives after Majeed tried to smuggle 100 migrants into the UK via small boats and trucks, the NCA said. Announcing the arrest on X, the NCA said: "The NCA has been informed of the arrest of Barzan Majeed – nicknamed ‘Scorpion’ - in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq."
Majeed had been on the run since 2022It comes amidst the number of people travelling illegally to the UK soaring in recent years in what's been dubbed the small boats crisis, as people flee war, persecution, impacts of climate change and economic insecurity.
People are asked to hand over thousands of dollars to smugglers in exchange for a crossing, most of which are unsafe. Last month, Parliament approved controversial legislation allowing the government to deport to Rwanda those who enter the country illegally.
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But within hours of the decision being rubber stamped, five people - including a seven-year-old girl - died in an English Channel crossing after the inflatable boat was overloaded. Many of the would-be migrants hail from Iraqi's northern Kurdish region.
While the Kurdish region has more stability and prosperity in relation to other parts of the country, many are leaving as a result of rising unemployment as well as corruption. In November 2021, 16 Iraqi Kurds were among a group of 27 people who died while attempting to cross the Channel.
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