A Turkish national described as the most significant supplier of maritime equipment to English Channel people smugglers was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Belgian court on Wednesday. Adem Savas, 45, was also ordered to pay a fine of €400,000 for his central role in a criminal network that facilitated thousands of dangerous crossings.
The sentencing in Bruges marks the culmination of an intensive international investigation led by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in collaboration with Belgian and Dutch authorities. Savas, who had been the NCA’s "number one target", admitted to charges of people smuggling and membership in an organised crime group during a hearing in December.
According to evidence presented to the court, Savas operated a sophisticated logistics chain that stretched across the globe. He acted as a primary importer of low-cost "Parsun"-branded outboard engines from China and inflatable boats from Turkey. These items were transported overland through Bulgaria to Germany, where they were stockpiled before being moved to the northern French coast for use by smuggling gangs.
NCA investigators believe Savas’s operation was so prolific that in 2023 alone, he supplied equipment for approximately half of all small boat crossings into the United Kingdom. Officials estimated that Savas charged an average of £4,000 per "package"—consisting of a boat and engine—netting millions of euros in profit while knowingly providing equipment unfit for the rigours of the open sea.
Rob Jones, the NCA’s Director General of Operations, emphasised the gravity of Savas’s actions following the verdict. "Adem Savas was without doubt the most significant supplier of boats and engines to people smuggling gangs involved in organising deadly crossings in the Channel," Jones stated. He added that Savas "knew exactly how unsuitable it was for long sea crossings" and noted that his supplies were likely linked to numerous fatal incidents.
The breakthrough in the case came through the investigation of Hewa Rahimpur, a Kurdish crime boss sentenced in 2023. Encrypted communications between the two men revealed Savas receiving images of rubber boats and news reports of fatal crossings, proving his awareness of the lethal consequences of his business.
Savas was eventually apprehended at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in November 2024 before being extradited to Belgium.
UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum Alex Norris welcomed the court's decision as a victory for international law enforcement. "We are cracking down on the criminals exchanging human lives for cash," Norris said. He commended the NCA for working alongside international allies to "take down this smuggling kingpin and put him behind bars where he belongs."
Three co-defendants were also sentenced alongside Savas, receiving combined prison terms totalling 38 years.
