fbpx

London-based Migrant Smuggling Group Sentenced to 35 Years in Jail

A U.K. court sent a London-based crime group behind bars for a total of 35 years for trying to illegally bring 69 Albanian migrants into the country, and plotting to smuggle 50 people in every week, the National Crime Agency reported 

A London-based crime group that tried to smuggle 69 Albanian migrants into the UK on a decrepit fishing vessel – and planned to bring in 50 more every week – have been jailed. (Photo: NCA, License)

The group was intercepted in November last year near the Norfolk coast while attempting to transport the migrants in a run-down fishing vessel that set sail from Ostend (Belgium) and headed to Great Yarmouth.

Police arrested Igor Kosyi, 57, and Volodymyr Mykhailov, 49, both from Ukraine, and Alexsandrs Gulpe, 44, from Latvia. The migrants were handed over to Immigration Enforcement.

Nearly Half of UK’s E-Money Firms Red Flagged for Money Laundering Risk

In addition, the investigators seized a laptop which helped them further dismantle the criminal network and arrest Latvian national Sergejs Kuliss, 32, who provided the group with the computer.

Two other conspirators – Lithuanian national Arturas Jusas, 35, living in Lambeth, and Israeli national Kfir Ivgi, 39, from Finchley – were found to have been in contact with Kullis and were arrested in June this year.

European Court: Azerbaijan Must Pay Bosnian Victims of Forced Labor

All of them were charged with human trafficking. Jusas pleaded guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court on 6 August, and Ivgi, Kuliss, Gulpe and Kosyi were found guilty at the same court in November this year, while Volodymyr Mykhailov was acquitted.

On Tuesday, Jusas was sentenced to nine years and nine months, Ivgi to 10 years, Kuliss to nine years, and Kosyi to seven years. Gulpe’s sentencing was postponed, according to the local newspaper, Newham Recorder.

European Cocaine Market More Competitive, Violent

“These men had no qualms about trying to smuggle vulnerable migrants on board an unseaworthy vessel, with ambitions to bring in hundreds more using this deadly method,” said NCA Director of Investigations, Nikki Holland. “Their sole motivation was monetary greed so I’m delighted they are now beginning lengthy jail terms for these despicable crimes.”

Napomena o autorskim pravima: Dozvoljeno preuzimanje sadržaja isključivo uz navođenje linka prema stranici našeg portala sa koje je sadržaj preuzet. Stavovi izraženi u ovom tekstu autorovi su i ne odražavaju nužno uredničku politiku The Balkantimes Press.

Copyright Notice: It is allowed to download the content only by providing a link to the page of our portal from which the content was downloaded. The views expressed in this text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Balkantimes Press.

Contact Us