An international criminal mastermind specializing in human trafficking has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in Belgium for his involvement in selling rubber boats to migrant gangs. Adem Savas, 45, was apprehended in Amsterdam as he was en route to a boat exhibition. He was found guilty of people smuggling and being part of a criminal organization after a thorough investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies from the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Savas is estimated to have earned significant profits by supplying equipment used in nearly half of the Channel crossings in 2023, some of which resulted in tragic fatalities. His pivotal role in facilitating thousands of illegal crossings earned him the title of a key player in the European people smuggling network, placing him at the top of the National Crime Agency’s most-wanted list.
Describing Savas as the primary supplier of boats and engines to criminal groups orchestrating perilous Channel crossings, NCA Director General of Operations, Rob Jones, emphasized Savas’ deliberate involvement in providing unsuitable equipment for dangerous sea journeys. The boats and engines distributed by Savas were reportedly linked to multiple fatal incidents in the Channel, each contributing to his illicit gains.
Acknowledging the collaborative effort of law enforcement agencies, the Case Officer for the Belgian Federal Judicial Police in West Flanders highlighted the successful international cooperation that led to disrupting a significant threat to society posed by Savas and his associates.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, commended the joint effort of the National Crime Agency and international partners in dismantling the smuggling network and ensuring that Savas faced justice. Savas pleaded guilty to people smuggling and membership in a criminal group during a court hearing in Bruges, resulting in an 11-year prison sentence and a fine of 400,000 euros. Three accomplices received a combined total of 38 years in prison for their roles in the criminal operation.
The investigation into Savas was initiated following the arrest of Kurdish crime boss Hewa Rahimpur by the NCA, revealing Savas as the main supplier of boats and engines to Rahimpur’s smuggling ring responsible for transporting over 10,000 migrants in small boats to the UK.
Operational from 2019 until his arrest in 2024, Savas collaborated with smuggling networks in Belgium and France, providing equipment for thousands of illegal crossings to the UK. His modus operandi involved importing low-cost outboard engines from China, transporting them through Europe, and storing them in Germany before their use in Channel crossings. The NCA estimated that Savas profited millions by charging around £4,000 for boat and engine packages.
Communication records between Savas and Rahimpur revealed their direct involvement in fatal incidents, with evidence showing Savas’ supply of boats and engines used in illegal crossings. Following intelligence on his attendance at a trade event in the Netherlands, law enforcement officers apprehended Savas upon his arrival at Schipol Airport.
The successful operation, coordinated through a Europol Operational Task Force and Eurojust Joint Investigation Team, demonstrated the effectiveness of international collaboration in combating transnational crime networks and safeguarding vulnerable migrants.