A man smuggled 21 Albanians across the English Channel in a luxury £70,000 yacht. Bleda Bega, also from Albania was caught by Border Force officials on April 13.
Truro Crown Court heard how the Tacoma boat was bound for the South West coast and had 20 men and one woman crammed below the deck. Bega, who pleaded guilty to facilitation offences, was jailed for seven years and 10 months. Meanwhile, Albanians Florjand Lika, 30, and Romeo Zani, 32, were both given 12 months in prison. The pair had both previously been deported from the UK but paid to travel on board the yacht in a bid to get back in.
The Daily Mail previously revealed that the Tacoma had been hired by a man with an Austrian passport. He claimed to be from a reputable boat charter company operating in Brest.
However, the boat’s co-owner noticed his vessel leaving France for Cornwall via a tracking device. Valery Roue immediately alerted authorities in the UK and the vessel was intercepted near Falmouth.
He said: “I became suspicious after my yacht left Brest. I watched its route and found her sailing across the Channel.” An alarm was sounded which warned all French charter yachts that they could be targeted to take migrants to the UK.
They were urged to be vigilant about migrant-smuggling gangs who may try to hire or steal yachts. The passengers on board the Tacoma, including Lika and Zani, who detained and are set to be deported.
Ben Thomas, Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) Regional Lead, said: “Border Force teams were able to quickly apprehend the vessel and stop its progress, whilst CFI acted swiftly to investigate the individuals on board and take the offenders before the courts.
“Work continues in collaboration with international partners to track and apprehend all involved in this smuggling operation. These criminals put lives at risk for their own gain with these dangerous schemes. One by one, we will put a stop to them to protect our borders and safeguard vulnerable people.”
Meanwhile, Dame Angela Eagle, border security minister, said the goverment had put forwards plans to increase enforcement activity in the English Channel. She said: “Anyone who seeks to smuggle people into the country in this way faces arrest, prosecution and a jail sentence.”