UK People Smuggling Gang Jailed 33 Years for Dashboard Migrant Concealment

Eight members of a UK-based people smuggling gang, led by Mukhlis Jamal Hamadamin, were sentenced to a collective 33 years in prison for their roles in trafficking vulnerable migrants, mainly from Iraq and Vietnam, into the UK. The gang used highly dangerous modifications to vehicles, including secret compartments carved into car dashboards, to conceal migrants, notably a Vietnamese woman found cramped behind a dashboard in June 2022. They also operated a forgery factory in Greece producing fraudulent identity documents to facilitate illegal entries via air routes. The gang's activities were uncovered after Border Force officers intercepted vehicles at Coquelles, France, and launched a wider international investigation that led to multiple arrests across the UK. Alongside counterfeit documents, authorities seized £6,000 in cash and 20,000 illicit cigarettes as part of the criminal enterprise. Investigations continue to recover the gang's illegal profits as authorities emphasize the severe risks and dangers posed by the gang's smuggling methods.