A man who is suspected of being a high-ranking member of a Syrian people smuggling gang operating crossings across the Mediterranean has been arrested by the National Crime Agency.

Specialist officers from the agency’s National Extradition Unit detailed Ayman Al Taleb, 41, in the Rusholme area of Manchester on 13 November.

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.

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.”

18 November 2025