Kurdish smugglers bringing death to shores of Europe

An investigation by The National has uncovered an Iraqi-Kurdish town which is a hub for people smuggling, where gang leaders make a fortune from the misery of people desperate for a new life in Europe.

Deals are carried out in plain sight in Ranya, where the hawala money exchanges are used to grease the criminal enterprise.

Our reporters took just a few minutes to track down smugglers willing to arrange for families to be transported across borders, using fake IDs, to reach northern France where they would risk their lives crossing the English Channel in flimsy dinghies. At least 77 people died making the crossing last year alone.

Using court records, interviews with experts and speaking to victims, we were able to find the headquarters of a mastermind smuggler called Bakhtiar, known as “the boss” by his henchmen and those who rely on him to secure a spot on the deathtrap boats.

But Bakhtiar has gone into hiding, spooked by a recent crackdown by UK and Iraqi Kurdistan authorities who are belatedly trying to get a grip of the situation which has seen tens of thousands reach the UK illegally.

The crackdown has also seen success in Britain, where two Kurds were jailed after they were caught operating a car wash in South Wales that was a front for a people smuggling business.

We also heard the plight of a 15-year-old girl from Kurdistan who has spent months trying to reach her cousins in England. She has tried six times to make the crossing, foiled each time by police, violent gangs and even by a panic attack brought on by almost drowning during her journey. She reveals how the people smuggling system works, what life is like for a migrant living in makeshift camps in France, and why she is willing to risk it all to get to Britain.

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Know before you go

Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

UAE currency

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative