300 migrants bound for UK kidnapped, tortured and threatened with organ removal

By ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 10:08, 9 June 2026 | Updated: 10:14, 9 June 2026 More than 300 migrants bound for the UK were kidnapped, tortured and threatened with organ removal, a new investigation has found.  According to the BBC, the group of young men from Iraqi Kurdistan were captured by a militia in Libya where they were  held for ransom and subjected to abuse.  Former captives revealed that the militia demanded each of their families pay £3,700 to secure their release, threatening to harvest their kidneys if the money wasn't sent promptly. The militia was supposed to be taking the migrants to the Mediterranean coast, when a dispute over payment broke out with people smuggler Noah Aaron, who had organised the journey. Aaron and fellow smuggler Kardo Jaf demanded thousands of dollars from the families of the migrants to arrange their transit to the UK, according to statements given by the father of a former captive. The route would pass through Libya, where much of the country is controlled by rival militias, and smuggling networks rely on their co-operation. A BBC investigation found that last summer, several groups of migrants from Iraqi Kurdistan were taken to a guarded compound in Libya and imprisoned. The militia demanded a $5,000 (£3,700) ransom per hostage, claiming Aaron owed them the debt from an earlier agreement.  More than 300 migrants bound for the UK were kidnapped, tortured and threatened with organ removal Despite the risks, illegal migrants from Iraqi Kurdistan continue to make the journey to Europe They terrorised the captives' families by sending violent footage, including a distressing video of a young man being told he was en route to a doctor to have a kidney forcibly removed if payment wasn't received immediately  A father from Ranya, Iraq, confirmed he paid a ransom to secure the release of his son, who was among 110 hostages safely flown home in January on an Iraqi government-chartered flight. However, a photo sent to him from his son while he was in captivity showed a scar they worried was from a forced organ removal.  Other photos began to emerge showing similar scars on other captives, with a UK-based consultant confirming they looked consistent with incisions made during kidney surgery. Many of the hostages have now been released after their families paid the ransom, but others may have had to give up their organs, Kurdish authorities suspect. Former hostages, including teenagers, described the torture they endured at the hands of militants. Captives were burned, beaten, and given one piece of bread a day - only if they paid extra money.  One 16-year-old boy described being kept in a small cell with 177 others, deprived of sunlight for six months.  Another young man said he had been tortured by having his leg burned. Anthony Dunkerley, a UN adviser who has investigated human trafficking in Libya, said kidnapping for ransom is common in Libya, where militias exploit limited state control. However, despite the risks, illegal migrants from Iraqi Kurdistan continue to make the journey to Europe.  Hemn Merany, a senior official at the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of the Interior, has urged the former captives to share their experience to dissuade others from attempting the journey. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.