THE GERMAN CONNECTION: Yet another migrant fugitive wanted in Germany who entered UK via Channel is found

A MAN suspected of being a high-ranking member of a Syrian people smuggling gang which arranged crossings of the Mediterranean was at large in the UK for at least a year after entering the country via a Channel boat under a false name.

The arrest by the National Crime Agency (NCA) Extradition Unit of Ayman Al Taleb, 41, in the Rusholme area of Manchester on 13 November 2025, has raised fresh concerns over the security risk posed by the Channel crossings.

Al Taleb is wanted by the German authorities on 17 separate charges. He is suspected of orchestrating crossings from Libya into Europe and then arranging false documentation for illegal arrivals between August 2022 and July 2024. Each migrant would be charged around US$6,000.

It comes after a special investigation by UK News and Investigations last month revealed for the first time the huge number of migrant fugitives wanted by Germany who have been found in the UK as the crossings are used as a way of trying to evade justice.

Read our special report here.

An NCA spokesperson said: "He is understood to have entered the UK on a small boat in 2024 under a false identity.

"In March 2025 the Germans issued a warrant for his arrest and, following intelligence that he had entered the UK, passed the case on to the NCA.

"Agency investigators were able to establish his true identity and tracked him down to his home address in Manchester."

Following his arrest Al Taleb was taken to Westminster Magistrates where extradition proceedings began. He is next due to appear on 21 November.

Andy Kelly from the NCA’s Joint International Crime Centre said: “Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA, and we are working with partners across Europe to target those suspected of involvement.

“People smuggling is an international issue and Germany is a key ally in the fight against the criminal networks who put lives at risk for their own profit.”