Birmingham man held in people smuggling network probe
- Published
Saman Sdiq appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday
A man wanted in relation to an alleged people smuggling network shipping migrants in lorries has been arrested.
Saman Sdiq, 33, was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) at his home address in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Monday.
The British national is wanted by authorities in Antwerp, Belgium, in connection with an organised criminal network believed to be operating there.
Mr Sdiq was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
The criminal network is believed to have links to the UK, France, Spain, and the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Several other alleged members have already been arrested and are in custody in Belgium.
The network is suspected of collecting migrants around Calais and taking them into Belgium, before loading them into lorries near the Dutch-Belgian border in the town of Postel.
From there they would be transported across the Channel.
Belgian prosecutors believe they have identified more than 15 attempts to smuggle migrants between November 2017 and April 2018.
On a number of occasions migrants, including minors and young children, were found hidden in the cargo space of lorries.
Mr Sdiq is suspected of providing vehicles from the UK to the network.
He was arrested by NCA officers on a European Arrest Warrant and appeared before Westminster magistrates on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody until 24 September as extradition proceedings continue.