Afghan boat pilots continued deadly voyage after woman and child pulled dead from overcrowded vessel carrying more than 70 people
Pair plead guilty after ‘callous’ decision to carry on Channel crossing despite French patrol rescuing bodies from dangerously packed dinghy
Two Afghan men have been jailed for eight months for piloting a boat across the Channel in a crossing that saw a woman and child die off the French coast.
Shah Salim Sajjadi, 38, and Safiollah Mohammadi, 25, were arrested when their dangerously overcrowded vessel arrived in UK waters on May 21, carrying more than 70 people.
In a shocking twist, the pair had continued their journey to Britain despite knowing that a woman and child had been pulled dead from their boat by French coastal patrol vessels near Calais earlier that day.
The two men were detained and questioned by investigators from the National Crime Agency (NCA) upon their arrival in Dover and charged with facilitating illegal immigration to the UK.
They pleaded guilty on May 24 at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court and were sentenced to eight months in prison.
‘Tragic incident’
NCA Branch Commander Adam Berry condemned the men’s actions, saying: “This tragic incident demonstrates just how dangerous these crossings are, and the callous nature of those who organise them.”
“The boat in question was dangerously overcrowded, but Sajjadi and Mohammadi chose to carry on their journey.”
The deaths occurred after the boat‘s departure from a beach near Calais, when Following the boat’s departure from a beach near Calais, earlier in the day, a woman and child had been pulled off the boat by a French coastal patrol vessel but were declared dead.
French Police are still investigating the circumstances of the fatalities under the direction of the Dunkirk prosecutor’s office.
Dangerous overcrowding
The tragedy highlights the extreme dangers of Channel crossings, with smugglers routinely overloading small boats to maximize profits at the expense of human lives.
The vessel carrying more than 70 people would have been dangerously overcrowded, creating conditions where passengers can die from suffocation or being crushed.
Despite witnessing the tragic deaths, Sajjadi and Mohammadi made the callous decision to continue piloting the boat across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Swift justice
The case moved through the courts with remarkable speed:
- May 21: Boat arrives in Dover after fatal crossing
- May 21: Sajjadi and Mohammadi arrested by NCA
- May 24: Both men plead guilty at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court
- Today: Eight-month prison sentences handed down
The rapid prosecution sends a clear message to people smugglers that they will face swift justice for their role in these deadly crossings.
Ongoing crisis
The sentencing comes as the small boats crisis continues to dominate headlines, with thousands attempting the perilous journey across the Channel each year.
The UK government has vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs, with new legislation giving police counter-terror style powers to tackle the criminal networks.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security.
The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.”
Rising death toll
The May 21 tragedy adds to a growing list of fatalities in the Channel, with multiple deaths recorded already this year as desperate people risk everything to reach British shores.
Earlier this year, figures showed that 5,512 people had made the crossing up to March 22, 2025, compared to 4,306 by the same date in 2024.
The highest number arriving in one day this year stands at 592 people, crossing the Channel in 11 boats on March 2.
International cooperation
The case highlights the ongoing cooperation between British and French authorities in tackling the small boats crisis.
While French police investigate the deaths that occurred in their waters, British authorities have successfully prosecuted those responsible for continuing the fatal voyage.
The UK recently signed a “road-map” agreement with France aimed at bolstering cooperation to tackle people smuggling across the Channel.
Warning to smugglers
The eight-month sentences handed to Sajjadi and Mohammadi serve as a stark warning to others involved in people smuggling operations.
The NCA has made clear it will continue to target those who facilitate these dangerous crossings, regardless of their role in the criminal networks.
With new powers and increased resources, authorities on both sides of the Channel are intensifying efforts to break up the smuggling gangs profiting from human misery.
The message is clear: those who risk lives for profit will face the full force of the law.
