A people smuggler who referred to migrants as "chickens" has been jailed for just over 10 years for his role in arranging illegal crossings to the UK.
Ramal Briem worked with other gang members to transport people, including six who were brought to Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire in the back of a lorry in March 2024.
The 33-year-old Iraqi national came to the UK illegally by small boat in 2020, after which he claimed asylum. He got involved in the people smuggling network following financial struggles, the National Crime Agency said.
Briem pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration at Wolverhampton Crown Court in October 2024.
Sentencing him earlier at Worcester Crown Court, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC suggested that Briem, who had been living in Wolverhampton, was also deported after his sentencing was complete.
The judge said it was hard to imagine "a more serious example of a people trafficker".
"You were part of an organised crime group (OCG) bringing significant numbers of immigrants from across the globe," he said.
"Victims found themselves threatened, abused and placed at huge risk…you and the people you work with would prey on them."
The main evidence for the case came from seized mobile phones, with messages between Briem and another gang member known as "Kevin".
They discussed the movement of people they referred to as "chickens" waiting for illegal crossings in northern France.
Briem said in one exchange that if he received "20 chickens, two of them were free".
Prosecutor Cathlyn Orchard told the court that Briem also used a boat emoji in the messages.
This breaking news story is being updated.
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Related internet links
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Vote in favor of your favored spot to peruse - 2Health Rounds: Regeneron drug wipes out residual multiple myeloma cells in small trial
- 3Astronauts head home early after medical issue
- 4Iran-backed Iraqi militias attack Kurdistan over 450 times since beginning of war
- 57 Delightful Ferris Wheels, Do You Like Them?
- Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket landed its booster on a barge at sea – an achievement that will broaden the commercial spaceflight market
- Help Your Business with Master Web based Promoting Arrangements
- Full SNAP benefits must be paid ‘promptly,’ USDA tells states as government reopens
- A trip to Colombia in my 20s turned into 8 years freelancing in South America. Here's what I'd do differently.
- Kristin Cavallari was the teen queen bee of 'Laguna Beach.' Now she's a 'cringey' mom.
- A whale stranded at a Baltic Sea resort has swum off a sandbank. But it isn't safe yet
- Instructions to Plan for Your Teeth Substitution Methodology
- ‘Inoculation’ helps people spot political deepfakes, study finds
- Instructions to Pick the Ideal Pre-assembled Home for Your Necessities
