A key member of an international people-smuggling network has been jailed for more than a decade after investigators uncovered evidence showing he helped organise illegal migrant journeys into Britain while referring to vulnerable migrants as “chickens”.
Ramal Briem, a 33-year-old Iraqi national living in Wolverhampton, was sentenced to 10 years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. The case is being viewed as a significant victory for authorities attempting to dismantle organised criminal networks profiting from illegal migration across Europe.
The investigation uncovered a series of messages exchanged between Briem and another suspected gang member known as “Kevin”. In those conversations, migrants waiting in northern France for transport into Britain were repeatedly referred to as “chickens” while fees for moving them were negotiated.
NCA Branch Commander Saju Sasikumar said the language Briem used showed a “complete disregard for human life”. He stated that migrants were treated as nothing more than a commodity to be traded for financial gain, regardless of the dangers involved in the journeys, and that the most effective strategy for reducing illegal migration crossings from mainland Europe.
The court heard that Briem himself entered the United Kingdom illegally by small boat in 2020 before later becoming involved in the smuggling network. Prosecutors argued that his personal experience of migration gave him direct knowledge of the routes and methods used by criminal groups operating across Europe.
