Meet Nick: ex-army, charming, funny, people-smuggler
There's an image you have of the people who smuggle desperate, vulnerable migrants into our country on boats, often with little thought for their safety. You think of them as shadowy figures, operating in gangs, most probably from other countries. You despise them for profiting from human misery.
I had that image too, until a year ago, when I met Nick*. He is a man who, like me, is in his early forties, grew up comfortably in the Home Counties, has a child, and who I discovered over a year of talking to him, is charming, funny, likable, even. Unlike me, however, Nick was a people-smuggler who had brought dozens of migrants into the UK illegally. 'People coming to this country was making me successful,' he boasted.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Newry: PSNI arrest woman following 'suspicious death' of man
A woman has been arrested following the "suspicious death" of a man in County say they received a report at 00:45 BST on Saturday, that a man, aged in his 40s, had sustained a serious injury in the Fisher Park area of Newry.A 50-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the investigation and remains in police custody at this remain in place within the Fisher Park area as officers conduct further enquiries. A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "Emergency services attended, and the man received medical treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital. Sadly, he later died from his injuries."Our investigation is at an early stage and we are working to establish the circumstances surrounding the man's death."
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Paul Pogba is BACK! Former Man United star joins Monaco as Frenchman promises a 'renaissance' after 18-month doping ban hell
Paul Pogba has officially joined Monaco, finally ending his wait to return to football. The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder was handed a four-year doping ban after returning an adverse drugs test, however that suspension was later slashed to just 18 months. the Court of Arbitration for Sport's confirmed that Pogba did inadvertently take DHEA, a substance that boosts testosterone that is on WADA's banned list. The ruling stated however that DHEA only has an effect on females. His ban officially ended earlier this year and he was soon after released by Juventus.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
YouTube pianist arrested after making child abuse allegation against priest
A YouTube pianist and his wife have accused police of being heavy-handed and traumatising their children when arresting the couple for making a child abuse allegation. Six officers handcuffed Brendan and Lorainne Kavanagh and seized electronic equipment worth £12,000 after arriving in two marked police cars and a van at the family's home. Mr Kavanagh, who uses the name Dr K and broadcasts boogie-woogie performances and piano lessons online, said his three children, all aged under 14, were 'terrified'. The couple were arrested by Bedfordshire Police on suspicion of harassment on April 1. The arrest was captured on their security cameras. The couple had shared concerns through email and WhatsApp messages with other parents in the Catholic community that someone ministering in the area was alleged to have had an inappropriate relationship while working as a priest abroad. After waiting two months on bail, the Kavanaghs have been told police are taking no further action because no offences have been committed. Bedfordshire Police has launched a review into 'all the circumstances' surrounding the arrest. The Kavanaghs, who spent nearly 10 hours in cells, claimed their arrest showed that police have become too concerned with 'hurty feelings' and are neglecting real crimes. The case is similar to a series of high-profile investigations, including into online comments made by Allison Pearson, The Telegraph columnist, in which social media posts or private messages were classified as so-called 'non-crime hate incidents'. 'Handcuffed in front of children' Mr Kavanagh, 57, said: 'My wife and I were arrested and handcuffed in front of our children. Our children were terrified and did not understand what was going on. 'The only evidence the police had were three or four angry – but non-violent – emails I had sent.' The musician raised concerns about someone who celebrated a Latin mass last year at a chapel they have on their land. He became concerned about that individual and contacted a senior figure from within the church in the Caribbean, who claimed the man had faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour when he was on the island. Mr Kavanagh decided to email some people about the issues raised. He soon discovered that the man had complained to police that Mr Kavanagh was 'calling him a paedophile on social media' and urging his YouTube followers to 'beat him up'. 'Clearly the police did not even bother to check this out, as it would have been found to be a complete lie,' Mr Kavanagh continued. 'The low standard of evidence used to authorise such overkill is truly staggering. 'We are told the police have scarce resources. Yet if someone can claim their feelings are hurt, that is all that matters. It appears very easy to engage in vexatious behaviour using the police as a tool to silence and intimidate. The modern British police have truly become the 'hurty feelings' police.' 'Sometimes necessary to seize devices' A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: 'A number of officers were sent to the scene to facilitate the transport of the two people to custody in separate vehicles, as well as officers to remain at the property to carry out searches. The arrest was carried out by student officers, supervised by their tutors. 'When children are present during an arrest, officers will ensure that there is appropriate care in place for them prior to leaving the property. As part of an investigation into harassment offences, it is sometimes necessary to seize devices to review evidence of any possible offences. 'The two people arrested were released on bail while further enquiries were carried out. Following a thorough investigation, it was found that no offences had been committed by the couple, and they were informed that no further action would be taken. 'We are in the process of reviewing all of the circumstances around this incident. However, we would encourage anyone who wishes to make a complaint around how their case was handled to contact us directly via our website.' Last year, Mr Kavanagh became embroiled in a row with a group of Chinese tourists who demanded he stop livestreaming at a public piano site at London St Pancras International station where he was playing.
