A man from Preston has been charged following a National Crime Agency investigation into people smuggling.
Iranian national Anjan Ahmadi, age 26, of Stafano Road, Preston, was originally arrested in July 2024 as part of an inquiry into the activities of Amanj Hasan Zada.
Zada, also of Stefano Road, was convicted of a series of people smuggling offences in November 2024, when he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
The NCA was able to link him to a series of movements of migrants from France into the UK in late 2023.
Investigators believe he is part of a global people-smuggling network moving migrants from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) into the UK and Europe. Three men were arrested KRI as part of a ground-breaking operation in January.
Ahmadi, who is accused of working with Zada, answered bail and was charged by NCA investigators with five counts of facilitating illegal immigration, involving the movement of migrants into both the UK and EU.
He was remanded in custody and appeared before Preston magistrates on Friday.
