An Iraqi people smuggler managed to coordinate a significant migrant boat crossing operation targeting Britain whilst behind bars in France, court proceedings have revealed this week.
Sarwar Omar, 32, orchestrated the criminal enterprise from his prison cell despite already serving a 14-year sentence for a violent offence involving weapons that led to someone's death.
The case, which emerged at a French court, has drawn fierce criticism from migration experts who have condemned French authorities for permitting such activity to occur within their prison system.
According to reports from French outlet La Voix Du Nord, Omar was able to arrange the acquisition of nautical equipment and organise the movement of migrants to coastal departure points while incarcerated.
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Omar's criminal record stretches back several years, with authorities first imprisoning him for 30 months in 2019 after he was convicted of smuggling offences.
His more serious conviction came in 2024 when he received the lengthy 14-year term for violence with weapons that resulted in a fatality.
Despite being incarcerated for this grave offence, Omar continued his illicit smuggling activities for a period of up to 17 months from within the prison walls.
During this time, he is believed to have earned millions of pounds by facilitating the passage of migrants across the Channel to the United Kingdom.
The revelation that a convicted violent criminal could sustain such a lucrative operation whilst supposedly under state supervision has prompted widespread condemnation.
Prison authorities discovered mobile phones concealed in Omar's cell on three separate occasions - in May 2024, October 2024, and again in October 2025.
Small boat migrants crossing the Channel
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Examination of these devices uncovered substantial evidence of his smuggling activities, including numerous photographs of inflatable boats and video footage showing migrants aboard vessels.
Text message exchanges retrieved from the phones proved particularly damning, with communications asking "Are there passengers today?" and stating "We need to gather customers for this departure".
Investigators also placed Omar's cell under surveillance, with the tapping operation revealing conversations in which he discussed customers and the arrival of boats.
The evidence painted a comprehensive picture of a sophisticated smuggling network being directed from behind prison walls over an extended period.
Omar appeared before Dunkirk Court where he received a two-year prison sentence for his smuggling activities.
Other individuals believed to be part of his criminal network have reportedly disappeared and failed to attend court when Omar was sentenced.
The case has intensified criticism of French authorities, who have faced repeated accusations of failing to prevent migrants from departing by boat and of imposing insufficiently harsh penalties on those responsible.
Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, described the situation as "shocking incompetence."
He said: "They don't hand out proper sentences or do enough to stop the crossings in France.
"Now you can be a smuggler and earn millions from a prison cell. It's absolutely wrong".
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