Man accused of assisting family from Afghanistan to enter UK illegally

A man has appeared in court accused of assisting a family from Afghanistan to enter Northern Ireland illegally.

Ibadullah Alimi, 25, with an address at Allum Rock Road in Birmingham, England, appeared before Belfast Magistrates’ Court in connection with an alleged breach of immigration law.

The offence is alleged to have taken place at Grand Central Station in Belfast on Wednesday.

Mr Alimi is accused of assisting a family from Afghanistan to travel to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland to facilitate the commission of a breach of immigration law by a person who was not a national of the United Kingdom.

An interpreter explained the charge to the defendant and an officer from the National Crime Agency (NCA) told the brief hearing that she could connect him to the charge.

The court was told Mr Alimi will require a Pashto interpreter when he appears before the court again, via video link on 19 December.

There was no application for bail and the defendant was remanded into custody.