An international human trafficking leader has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in Belgium for his involvement in selling rubber boats to migrant gangs. Adem Savas, aged 45, was arrested in Amsterdam while en route to a boat exhibition and was found guilty of people smuggling and being part of an organized crime group.
Savas is estimated to have profited significantly from providing equipment for approximately half of the Channel crossings in 2023, some of which resulted in fatal incidents. He was identified as a key player in the European people smuggling network and was a top priority on the National Crime Agency’s wanted list.
According to NCA Director General of Operations Rob Jones, Savas was a major supplier of boats and engines used by people smuggling gangs for dangerous Channel crossings. Despite operating under the guise of a legitimate maritime supply company, Savas was aware of the illicit use of the equipment he supplied and profited from tragic events.
The Belgian Federal Judicial Police in West Flanders emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating serious criminal threats. Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris commended the collaborative efforts that led to Savas’ arrest and subsequent conviction.
Savas pleaded guilty to people smuggling and being part of an organized crime group at a court hearing in Bruges. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined 400,000 euros, while three co-defendants received a total of 38 years in prison. Savas was apprehended at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam in November 2024 and extradited to Belgium.
The investigation into Savas was initiated following the arrest of Kurdish crime boss Hewa Rahimpur, who was linked to a significant smuggling operation responsible for transporting over 10,000 migrants to the UK through small boat crossings. Analysis of seized devices revealed that Savas was Rahimpur’s primary supplier of boats and engines.
Operating from 2019 until his arrest in 2024, Savas collaborated with people smuggling networks in Belgium and France, facilitating thousands of small boat crossings to the UK. Charging around £4,000 for boat and engine packages, Savas is believed to have amassed substantial earnings from his illegal activities.
Messages exchanged between Savas and Rahimpur revealed their involvement in fatal incidents, with evidence of the supply and distribution of boats and engines. Savas’ arrest at Schipol Airport was the result of a joint operation coordinated through Europol and Eurojust.
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