A Dutch criminal court has sentenced a 42-year-old man to 20 years in prison for heading one of the Netherlands’ largest and most violent migrant-smuggling operations. The defendant was ordered to pay over €30,000 in compensation to the victims. The proceedings spanned multiple hearings from November 2025 to January 2026.

Authorities stated the network primarily transported Eritrean migrants from Libya to Europe in exchange for large payments. The operation generated significant profits for the defendant, who allegedly enforced control through violence and intimidation.

The court highlighted the violent nature of the offences, noting that the defendant subjected migrants to “cruel, violent, and degrading treatment.” 

Although much of the smuggling occurred outside the Netherlands, the Dutch court claimed jurisdiction. Migrants targeted by the operation traveled from Italy to the Netherlands shortly after arriving, and several extorted family members lived in the country. The court ruled that the crimes were therefore partly committed on Dutch soil, thereby making it competent to hear the case.

Prosecutors relied on Italian rescue and arrival records, testimonies from migrants and their relatives in the Netherlands, and photographic and contextual identification of the defendant. These sources consistently tied him to the smuggling network and extortion scheme across multiple incidents.

Before attempting to cross Europe, migrants were held in warehouse-style camps. Reports describe widespread violence in these facilities, where captives were often beaten and forced to contact their families to demand ransom payments. Passage to Europe was only allowed once relatives had sent the required funds. Many of these attacks were carried out by the defendant’s associates, with numerous people reportedly losing their lives.

The defendant is an Eritrean national with no residence in the Netherlands. He was extradited from Ethiopia to face charges after Dutch authorities opened an investigation in 2018. The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee worked closely with Italian authorities, following reports that victims had traveled to the Netherlands to seek asylum. The defendant arrived in the Netherlands in October 2022 and insisted that he is not the person portrayed by the justice system.