Ask Onix
Turkish national sentenced for smuggling role
Adem Savas, a 45-year-old Turkish man, received an 11-year prison term and a €400,000 fine in Belgium on Wednesday for supplying boats and engines used in English Channel crossings between 2019 and 2024.
Described as most significant supplier
The National Crime Agency (NCA) called Savas "without a doubt the most significant supplier" to criminal gangs facilitating dangerous migrant crossings. Authorities estimate he earned millions by charging around £4,000 per boat-and-engine package.
NCA investigations revealed Savas likely provided equipment for about half of all Channel crossings in 2023, positioning him as a central figure in Europe's people-smuggling networks.
Arrest and conviction
Savas was detained at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in November 2024 following a joint operation by the NCA and Belgian authorities. He admitted to people-smuggling offenses and membership in an organized crime group during his trial in Bruges.
His identification stemmed from an earlier probe into Hewa Rahimpur, a Kurdish smuggler convicted in 2023 for orchestrating the illegal transport of over 10,000 migrants to the UK. The NCA confirmed Savas served as Rahimpur's primary supplier of vessels and engines.
Human cost and official response
Rob Jones, the NCA's director general of operations, stated Savas's equipment "was likely involved in numerous fatal events in the Channel." Jones added that Savas operated under the guise of a legitimate maritime business while fully aware his products were unfit for long sea journeys.
"He pretended to run a legitimate maritime supply company, but in reality he knew exactly how the equipment he provided would be used. He also knew exactly how unsuitable it was for long sea crossings."
Rob Jones, NCA Director General of Operations
UK Border Security Minister Alex Norris praised the conviction, emphasizing efforts to "crack down on the criminals exchanging human lives for cash."
Rising crossings and risks
Home Office data showed 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025-nearly 5,000 more than the previous year and the highest total since 2022. Such crossings have become the dominant method of illegal UK entry since 2020.
The United Nations reported at least 84 deaths during Channel crossings in 2024, with experts attributing heightened risks to overcrowded vessels.
