Leader of Syrian migrant-smuggling network sentenced to eight years in France

The head of a migrant-smuggling network operating from Épinal has been sentenced to eight years in prison. The 36-year-old Syrian man ran a company called La Sultana Tours and offered compatriots seeking exile a route to mainland France for between €1,000 and €8,000.

The route passed through Venezuela and French Guiana before reaching metropolitan France. The migrants were mainly members of Syria’s Druze community. The man was convicted of aiding the organized illegal entry, movement or stay of foreigners in France, for activities carried out between January 2021 and August 2025.

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professional travel agency activity

The sentence matched the prosecutor’s request. In addition to eight years in prison, the court imposed a €400,000 fine and a permanent ban from French territory. The defendant, who was legally resident in France, had been held in pretrial detention after his arrest in early July.

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a citizen who tried to help his compatriots

The investigation began after information reached the Metz office responsible for combating illegal migrant trafficking in October 2025. Investigators found promotional videos for La Sultana Tours on WhatsApp. At the hearing, the defendant described his work as a “professional travel agency activity” and said he was “a citizen who tried to help his compatriots.” He apologized several times and said he did not know he was breaking the law.

Prosecutor Jean-Emmanuel Besset described the operation as “one of the largest, if not the largest, Syrian immigration networks in France.” He said the man had brought between 400 and 500 migrants to France from 2021 to 2025. Some people questioned during the investigation confirmed that they had used the network to reach the country.

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one of the largest, if not the largest, Syrian immigration networks in France