Afghan member of trafficking gang that smuggled young boys into the UK on small boats and raped and blackmailed them with sex attack footage will be kicked out of the country
A member of an Afghan smuggling gang who smuggled young boys to England on small boats, then raped and blackmailed them with images, has been expelled from the country.
Zeeshan Banghis and Saifur Rahman Ahmedzai, also known as Bangash, were arrested by National Crime Agency extradition officers in December 2024 after a Belgian judge jailed them in absentia.
Banghis, 21, was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2024 and will now be extradited to Belgium to serve his sentence following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Ahmedzai, 24, was sentenced to ten years in prison in November 2024 and was extradited to Belgium last June to serve his sentence. Both men were fined 3,000 euros (£2,601).
The couple, who are Afghan nationals, played a role in the gang by helping organize the movement of immigrants from Afghanistan through Iran, Türkiye and the Balkans to Western Europe, including France and Belgium.
Many will be taken on small boats from northern France to England, and the gang is suspected of transporting thousands of people this way.
Other members of the group filmed themselves raping young immigrants so they could use the footage to blackmail them into committing crimes and further sexual abuse.
In November 2024, a court in Antwerp sentenced Banghis and Ahmedzai, along with 21 other gang members, to a total of 170 years in prison, ranging from two to 18 years.
Eleven members were tried in their absence, including two men arrested in the United Kingdom.
Two members of the gang were convicted of child sexual abuse and exploitation, while six other members were sentenced for possessing indecent images of children.
Zeeshan Banghis (pictured), 21, was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2024 and will be extradited to Belgium to serve his sentence following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Saifur Rahman Ahmedzai (pictured), 24, was sentenced to ten years in prison in November 2024 and was extradited to Belgium to serve his sentence last June.
Ahmedzai was arrested by NCA extradition officers in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on 30 December 2024.
Banghis was arrested on 18 December 2024 at an address in New Kent Road, Southwark.
NCA investigators have been supporting the Belgian investigation for nearly two years by providing the Belgian Federal Police with intelligence and evidence on suspected members of the network.
Officers also worked with Border Force and Immigration to identify and carry out protection checks on migrants and network victims being transported to the UK.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s National Extradition Unit, said: ‘This gang operates worldwide and heaps misery on the migrants they transport in order to make a profit.
‘Many of these people were extremely vulnerable, which makes it all the more shocking that disgraceful sexual crimes were committed against some of them.
‘Our joint investigation with Belgian law enforcement is another example of successful international action against a global threat.
‘These extraditions send a very strong message that those trying to disrupt and dismantle the gangs behind this horrific trade will never slow down.’
Footage from the National Crime Agency (NCA) shows the arrest of Zeeshan Banghis
Footage from the National Crime Agency (NCA) shows Saifur Ahmedzai being arrested at an address in Hemel Hempstead on December 30, 2024.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper previously said: ‘This case is nothing short of sickening.
‘These men ran large-scale illegal smuggling operations and subjected the migrants they smuggled (some of them children) to extreme cruelty when they were most vulnerable.
‘I am grateful to the NCA, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement officers for their hard work and dedication in pursuing these vile criminal gangs, protecting victims of exploitation and protecting our borders.
‘As part of the Government’s Change Plan to strengthen our borders, we are working more closely than ever with international partners to track down such dangerous criminal networks, disrupt their activities and ensure they face the full force of the law to protect people and save lives.
‘In recent weeks we have agreed important new agreements with Iraq and Germany, pledging mutual support and cooperation to meet this common challenge.
‘We also agreed at the Calais Group’s meeting with European partners to step up our joint efforts to end this dangerous trade.
‘With this closer international cooperation, joint working between law enforcement agencies, new legislation and a £150 million cash investment in Border Security Command, we are making clear that we will stop at nothing to protect our borders from people-smuggling gangs.’
