A teenager who piloted a boat with 165 people on board across the English Channel has been jailed for risking the lives of others during a sea crossing.
The National Crime Agency investigated Chan Atak, 19, after the boat collected men, women and children along the French coastline on 23 July this year before heading towards Dover.
The 14.3-metre vessel had two outboard engines, only one of which worked, and was severely overcrowded. The total number of migrants on board was a record at the time.
They were transferred to a Border Force Command vessel, which intercepted the boat before towing it to Dover Western Jet Foil.
NCA investigators examined footage of the boat which showed a black man wearing a blue padded ITALIA coat and shorts with his hand on the tiller for a prolonged period of time during the voyage to the UK. Nobody else was seen touching it or taking over.
Just before the rescue, the pilot turned off the engine and disappeared into the middle of the boat. He was seen a few seconds later minus the jacket and wearing a white t-shirt.
This individual was established as being Atak and he was arrested and later charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with endangering lives at sea.
The boat was found to have been at sea for almost 24 hours and contained limited supplies of food, drinking water or medical provisions. The quality of lifejackets was completely inadequate for the journey and risk of fire was considerable due to the proximity of batteries to fuel cans.
Atak pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on 24 August and was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment at the same court today (18 September).
NCA Senior Investigating Officer John Turner said:
“Chan Atak was unimaginably reckless and his actions could have easily resulted in many deaths had this boat not been intercepted.
“Not only did he place the lives of 165 migrants in severe peril, this flimsy vessel was entirely unsuitable for crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
“Combating the threat posed by the networks involved in organised immigration crime is one of our biggest priorities, and we currently have more than 100 investigations ongoing.”
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Anna Turley, said:
“Today’s sentencing rightly puts this evil criminal behind bars, and he joins 16 other pilots sentenced in just three months for endangering lives with flimsy, overcrowded dinghies.
“This is a stark reminder of the ruthless acts used by smuggling gangs to exploit desperate people for profit, but today shows there is nowhere for them to hide.
“With arrests for immigration crime surging, and the lowest number of small boat arrivals over the summer since 2020, we are making progress. We will be relentless in bearing down on these dangerous and illegal crossings.”
Andrew Stephens, a Senior District Prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service, said:
“Chan Atak took control of the boat and put the lives of 165 people, including children, at risk.
“This was an incredibly dangerous journey aboard an overcrowded, poor-quality inflatable boat without basic safety equipment crossing one of the busiest waterways in the world.
“The occupants were cold, wet, and crowded into a boat for a journey of more than 23 hours by Chan Atak who had no experience piloting a boat. The boat was poorly inflated, missing safety ropes and life jackets were ill-suited to the conditions.
“Those sentenced to more than a year in prison face being deported and if they make an asylum application their conviction will be taken into account.”
The NCA is putting more resource into targeting the criminal networks behind organised immigration crime than ever before. This is bringing operational results with increases in seizures, arrests and disruptions.
18 September 2026
