One of the suspected criminal masterminds behind the human trafficking gangs responsible for Britain’s small boats crisis has been revealed.
Express.co.uk has been passed documents by highly placed sources in Libya about the alleged operations of Ammar Al-Mabrouk Saad Balkour, who is accused of being responsible for the trafficking of thousands of people into Europe among other serious criminal activities.
The documents have given a rare insight into the human trafficking gangs’ operations, which begin in north Africa with illegal migrants taken to Italy before many of them work their way through the continent to come to the UK on small boats across the Channel.
According to sources, Balkour was assassinated last week after attention fell on him and he could be apprehended by Libyan or foreign security forces.
One source told the Express: “The official story is that he was killed by his nephew, the real one is he was killed by Libyan security before he could talk.”
But the alleged criminal mastermind was said to be responsible for around 600 of the 1,000 illegal migrants trafficked each week through Libya into Europe.
His organisation was also linked to murders related to harvesting human organs for sale among other activities.
The same documents were passed to former cabinet minister David Jones, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Libya, who has sent them to Security Minister Tom Tugendhat to be urgently investigated.
Mr Jones told Express.co.uk: “I have been forwarded these documents about the suspected organiser of human trafficking and other illegal activities in Libya. They are obviously very concerning and I have sent them to the relevant ministers and asked them to investigate.
“Clearly if we are to stop the small boats, then we need to tackle the organised criminal gangs responsible for human trafficking as a matter of urgency.”
The documents go into detail about Balkour and his compound and where illegal migrants were held before being shipped across the Mediterranean.
The compound in West Ajaylat was surrounded by barbed wire with armed guards.
Maps specifically show a holding area for illegal migrants waiting to be moved in what is described as “the family compound”.
Balkour was said to have had 20 trusted gang members, although ahead of his own killing it was noted that “most of them are dead either through automotive accidents or fighting”.
But the compound also included a boat building facility to facilitate trafficking. It is not known if this is linked to the small boats that are then taken to the French coast before migrants make their way across the Channel.
The documents noted: “It is assessed that [Balkour] has two areas where he is holding immigrants about to be trafficked. He keeps ‘the Syrians’ at his family compound and the Africans at the boat building facility.
“The convoy picks up the Syrian immigrants from the family compound and moves them north towards a temporary holding area located in an isolated warehouse (source could not identify this location due to old map imagery). Immigrants are prepped then moved by foot to the boat loading site. The exact of the launch site is unknown.”
African migrants are held in a separate location near the boat building facility.
The documents also relate an intelligence conversation with Balkour’s 15-year-old brother in November last year, who described him as “very busy” and is “currently planning on moving people to Italy”.
Currently, Italy has been in discussions with the UK about closing down routes from north Africa and is seeking a Rwanda style deal to deport illegal migrants.
Home Office sources have said that they are using intelligence to try to close down the gangs and block routes.
