A Bangladesh-origin man, Mohammed Hossain, has been handed a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence in the United Kingdom after being found guilty of masterminding a human trafficking ring.
The Snaresbrook Crown Court in London delivered the verdict on June 23. Hossain, a 54-year-old proprietor of a Bangladeshi cafe in East London, admitted to facilitating the illegal movement of numerous individuals into and out of the UK.
Operating as an illegal “travel agent,” Hossain was responsible for generating over £1 million by aiding fugitives, including individuals accused of murder and child abuse, in evading justice, as the British National Crime Agency (NCA) disclosed.
His criminal enterprise involved charging clients up to £15,000 for illegal entry into the UK and approximately £1,000 for departures, considering the reduced associated risks.
Investigators revealed that Hossain lived a lavish lifestyle, owning a collection of high-end vehicles and paying a yearly fee of £12,000 for his children's private education.
To facilitate the illegal transportation, Hossain relied on a network of taxi and lorry drivers who transported individuals across the Channel in both directions. He also arranged taxi services to transport migrants to their designated collection points.
During his arrest, authorities uncovered a ledger containing the names of hundreds of men, women, and children who availed themselves of his illicit services.
Additionally, documents detailing the terms and conditions for clients were discovered, including provisions for refunds in the event of apprehension.
Hossain collaborated with his accomplice, Noor Ullah, a 30-year-old who played a significant role in the criminal enterprise. Recorded communications between the two revealed their plans to hide people inside a lorry at the South Mimms service station on the M25 in March 2021.
The NCA also discovered that Hossain and Ullah had established a secure shelter in Bethnal Green, East London, to house migrants.
Their illicit activities ended in May 2021 when they were apprehended due to Operation Symbolry, a covert investigation conducted by the NCA.
Hossain, residing in Woodford Green, pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport individuals illegally into and out of the UK between December 2018 and May 2021.
