A UK-based Egyptian national has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for leading a major people-smuggling operation that trafficked thousands of migrants from Libya to Italy across the Mediterranean Sea.
Ahmed Ebid, 42, ran the £12 million network from his home in Isleworth, southwest London, while coordinating directly with smuggling groups inside Libya. According to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Ebid arranged at least seven boat journeys between October 2022 and June 2023, transporting nearly 3,800 migrants — including women and children — in overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels.
In one case, over 640 migrants were rescued in Italian waters, while two bodies were recovered. Another vessel drifted for days with over 260 people aboard.
Prosecutors said Ebid instructed his partners to kill and dump overboard any migrant found carrying a phone to avoid detection. He used Facebook to advertise crossings and was involved in sourcing boats, selecting crews, and overseeing logistics.
Ebid had previously served a prison sentence in Italy for drug smuggling and entered the UK illegally via a small boat in 2022. He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
Authorities described him as a key figure in an organised crime network that profited from the desperation of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in Libya and elsewhere. The average fee per person was £3,200, according to the NCA.
UK and Italian law enforcement coordinated closely to investigate and detain Ebid in June 2023.