Kurdish migrant smuggler sentenced to 5 years in UK

Kurdish migrant smuggler Anjan Ahmadi sentenced to 5 years in UK — Kurdish migrant smuggler Anjan Ahmadi, UK, 2025. Photo: NCA/via iKurd.net

LONDON,— A Kurdish asylum seeker who had been granted the right to stay in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to prison for helping run a migrant smuggling operation led by a man once hailed as “the best smuggler,” according to Daily Mail UK.

Anjan Ahmadi, 26, who is believed to be the brother of Iranian Kurdish human trafficker, Amanj Hasan Zada, was given five years and seven months in prison by Preston Crown Court after admitting his role in facilitating illegal entry for two migrants working under Zada, 35, described by investigators as the head of a sophisticated human trafficking network.

According to court records, Ahmadi arrived in Britain illegally before seeking asylum. The Home Office later granted him indefinite leave to remain, which allowed him to live and work in the UK. Prosecutors said he used that status to assist Zada in arranging crossings from Europe into Britain.

Ahmadi appeared in court with the help of a Kurdish interpreter. His defense lawyer, Zarif Khan, told the court his client had been granted asylum shortly before his arrest in July 2024 by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The NCA accused him of aiding Zada in moving migrants through Europe and across the English Channel.

The case has renewed debate in Britain about asylum laws and the system that allows refugees indefinite leave to remain. Critics say it can be exploited by criminals.

Reform UK has pledged to end the policy if it wins the next general election, while Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said at the Labour Party Conference that her department will prevent those with criminal histories or who claim benefits from qualifying for it.

Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian Kurdish migrant smuggler, was sentenced to 17 years in a UK prison on November 8, 2024. Photo: Video/SM/UK police/via iKurd.net

After receiving permanent status, Ahmadi became closely involved with Zada’s operations. Zada, known on social media for advertising illegal crossings with customer “testimonials,” had already been convicted in November 2023 and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

He was linked to at least three Channel crossings involving Kurdish migrants who had traveled through Turkey and eastern Europe before reaching France.

Authorities said Zada’s operation was profitable and well organized. NCA Branch Commander Martin Clarke said the gang’s reach extended far beyond the cases proven in court.

“There is no doubt Zada’s group facilitated many more illegal crossings,” Clarke said. “It was a commercial enterprise built entirely on profit.”

During the investigation, agents discovered videos of Zada celebrating with firearms and throwing money at parties. In one video filmed in Iraq in 2021, musicians sing in Kurdish calling him “the best smuggler,” as Zada fires a gun in the air.

Ahmadi served as Zada’s driver and assistant, the court was told, often handling logistics and communications with migrants.

The two men lived together in Preston on Stefano Road and are believed to be brothers, though that relationship has not been officially confirmed.

The NCA found evidence linking Ahmadi to migrant coordination, including phone records and online messages. A voice note on his phone revealed him referring a potential migrant to another smuggler who specialized in lorry crossings, telling the man to “go with my name.”

Ahmadi later pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitating illegal immigration to the UK and the European Union.

Amanj Hasan Zada, an Iranian Kurdish migrant smuggler, fires a gun at a party. On November 8, 2024, he was sentenced to 17 years in a UK prison.
Photo: Video/SM/via iKurd.net

His attorney said Ahmadi lived modestly and earned a small income, adding, “He was not the organizer. He acted under Zada’s direction.”

Judge Andrew Jefferies KC told Ahmadi that his involvement was “purely commercial” and that he “must have expected some financial benefit.” The judge said he will likely be deported before completing his sentence, pending Home Office approval.

Following the sentencing, Clarke said Ahmadi had played a “critical role” as Zada’s right-hand man. “They treated desperate people as a commodity,” he said. “We’ve worked with partners in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to pursue the network from the UK back to its source.”

In January 2025, NCA cooperation with law enforcement in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region led to arrests in Sulaimani, including two suspected smugglers and a financial broker accused of laundering funds for the group.

Clarke added that the agency’s global reach allows it to “dismantle criminal networks at every stage.”

(With files from Daily Mail UK)