Iraqi ‘people smuggler’ facing extradition to France

Derby

An Iraqi man accused of running a human trafficking gang that smuggled hundreds of people from French migrant camps into the UK appeared in court today (Tues).

Rekawt Kayani, 34, allegedly recruited van and lorry drivers from Poland, Russia, and Lithuania to carry dozens of people in concealed compartments in runs from December 2014 until January this year.
Kayani is said to have led the Iraqi-Kurd criminal network which allowed illegal immigrants from across the world to travel from a migrant camp in Dieppe, on the northern coast of France, to a ferry port in Newhaven, East Sussex.
French prosecutors are now seeking his extradition so he can face charges for facilitating unauthorised entry of aliens into France or another Schengen-agreed state and for taking part in a criminal conspiracy.
Today (Tue) Kayani listened carefully through a Kurdish interpreter as sat through an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Rebecca Hill said: ‘Mr Kayani is the head of a trafficking organisation, specifically an Iraqi Kurd network aimed at facilitating immigration to Great Britain from its base at a migrant camp in France.’
She added: ‘To be clear the warrant sets out that the evidence the French have establishes Mr Kayani’s role as the organiser and implicates him in those passages [of migrants].’
The court heard that Kayani was assisted by Iraqi-Kurd ‘lieutenants’ and may have run the gang remotely from his home in Derbyshire.
Two other men – a 29-year-old from Derby and a 32-year-old from Gillingham, Kent – have been arrested in relation to the allegations.
The National Crime Agency are seeking to confiscate money and documents from Kayani’s house as they continue the investigation.
According to prosecutors, the Iraqi Kurd also arranged runs to Harwich International Port in Essex.
In June 2015 four lorry drivers were arrested there when 68 migrants from Afghanistan, China, Vietnam, and Russia were discovered inside four lorries.
French border police are said to have gathered evidence from ‘ground surveillance’ and ‘statements given by Polish drivers who were themselves intercepted endeavouring to traffick people’
After a run was intercepted in January 2015 at Harwich International Port, Kayani allegedly moved the point of departure to the Netherlands and continued smuggling people for another year.
‘Between 4 November 2015 and 25 January 2016 he organised at least another three passages from France using vans with concealed compartments driven by drivers from Russia or Lithuania,’ said Miss Hill.
Kayani, of Boden Street, in Normanton, Derby, does not consent to extradition and judgement is due to be given on September 15.
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The court heard Kayani – who reportedly arrived in the UK in 2003 as an asylum seeker – could be jailed for up to ten years if he is extradited and convicted in France.
He was arrested at his home on 18 May after French authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant.
It details a series of smuggling runs that were discovered after French border police intercepted them and questioned Polish lorry drivers.
One driver claimed a number of runs were carried out throughout December 2014 with loads of up to 32 migrants at a time.
On 4 January 2015 four drivers were arrested after ’51 Chinese migrants were identified having been trafficked to Harwich’.
Kayani chose not to give evidence today (Tues) and the court heard that his legal aid-funded defence team had served evidence late.
Ben Seifert, defending, applied to submit a letter from French lawyer Alexandere Demeyere-Honore which is said to have claimed that a decision has not been made to ‘charge or try’ Kayani.
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser dismissed the application and noted that the French letter had been translated by a paralegal who wasn’t qualified as an interpreter.
She said: ‘He or she has added her own interpretation as part of this letter, the court cannot have confidence that this error isn’t repeated in other parts.’
Mr Seifert then claimed that the warrant didn’t make Kayani’s role clear which meant he was unable to properly raise bars to extradition.
He said: ‘The paucity of these particulars significantly disadvantages Mr Kayani.’
But Miss Hill argued that the warrant was ‘entirely valid’ with ‘extensive particulars’, adding: ‘There can be no ambiguity for the reason for Mr Kayani’s return.’
Mr Seifert went on to argue that Kayani should be tried in the UK as he may have operated remotely from this country.
‘The harm is clearly to this country, there is no harm that would be suffered by France by the illegal entry of these individuals,’ said Mr Seifert.
Miss Hill said: ‘In my submission that’s a gross simplification.
‘The French borders are being violated and a criminal conspiracy is said to have been primarily orchestrated from within its territory, so of course the harm is also felt within France.’
Judge Baraitser remanded Kayani in custody until she rules on his extradition case on 15 September at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
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