Seven members of a “sophisticated” organised crime network who plotted to bring illegal immigrants from Albania into the UK have been jailed.
The gang has been sentenced to a total of almost 24 years behind bars for a people smuggling plot between 1 January and 15 May 2021.
They “operated discretely exploiting individuals seeking better economic opportunities”, who paid up to £24,000 in cash to come to the UK, police said.
Detectives focused their investigation in Southgate and Enfield, north London, together with motorway service areas across the South East and in Wellingborough, Lincolnshire.
They identified that Albanian men were being hidden in the cab area of lorries carrying Romanian registered goods arriving at Dover via Dunkirk in France.
These lorries stopped at service stations before the illegal immigrants were handed over to a member of the people smuggling gang and the driver continued on his journey.
Individuals were typically then transported to Southgate before being passed on to other Albanians, police said.
The investigation was led by the Metropolitan Police’s specialist crime command in partnership with the Home Office and Border Force.
Properties in Northamptonshire together with Enfield and Barnet, also in north London, were raided before seven gang members were charged in May 2021.
They were all jailed at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London on Thursday.
Who are the seven defendants?
Arlin Leka, 29, an Albanian national from Southgate, was jailed for six years after admitting to arranging passages into the UK, travelling to service stations and receiving the men.
He also admitted possessing £13,000 in cash, deemed to be criminal property.
Dimitraki Nika, 31, a Greek national from Enfield, was jailed for four years for travelling to service stations and receiving men.
Doru-Emil Moldovan, 32, from Romania, was handed a 20-month sentence after he admitted being a lorry driver in the plot and also possessing £9,980 of illegally obtained cash.
Four defendants denied involvement and were convicted at the court after a six-week trial.
Transport co-ordinator Sorin Holerca, 41, of Swanscombe in Dartford, Kent, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Kristian Agolli, 35, of Enfield, was sentenced to three years and three months behind bars for receiving smuggled men as part of the conspiracy.
Aldis Cseplye, 33, of Hornsey, north London, had the same role and was jailed for two years and nine months.
Lorry driver Jozef Szekelly, a Romanian national, was jailed for two years.
One unnamed man who travelled illegally to the UK after previously being deported was arrested on 15 May 2021 as part of the investigation.
He was jailed after admitting entering the country in contravention of a deportation order.
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Other men found at two properties in Wellingborough on the same day were dealt with by British immigration authorities.
Chris Foster, deputy director of the Home Office criminal and financial investigation unit, said: “This organised crime group is now behind bars thanks to the work between the Home Office and Metropolitan Police.
“We will continue to work closely with our policing partners to disrupt people-smuggling gangs and ensure those who abuse our laws face the consequences of their crimes.”
Detective Constable Steve Willis, from the Met’s specialist crime command, described the probe as “highly complex and protracted”.
“The investigation utilised a host of different investigation techniques at our disposal and has dismantled a criminal network brining young Albanian males into the UK illegally,” he added.
