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Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ukrainians caught trying to bring in migrants on yacht
Ukrainian people smugglers have been caught attempting to bring migrants illegally into the UK by yacht. The yacht, carrying four Albanians and a Vietnamese national, was intercepted by a Border Force cutter off the Isle of Wight on Sunday afternoon. It is the latest attempt to smuggle migrants into the UK by yacht where, unlike with small boats, they can make a clandestine entry into the UK without their details being logged by Border Force and immigration officials. Its crew, two Ukrainian men aged 43 and 37, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration, said the National Crime Agency (NCA). The five passengers were detained under immigration laws. Julian Harriman, the senior investigating officer, said: 'This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale. 'Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom.' The interception came as an Albanian people smuggler was jailed for seven years and 10 months for also using a hired yacht to try to bring 21 migrants across the Channel. Bleda Bega, 44, was captaining the yacht as it sailed towards the south west coast of England. It was intercepted by Border Force on Sunday April 13 where officers discovered the 21 passengers comprising 20 men and one woman, all Albanian nationals. Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said: 'This sentence shows Border Force work to tackle attempts to enter the UK illegally by these criminal smuggling gangs. They have been using state of the art technology and surveillance capabilities. 'This government has put forward a serious, credible plan to restore order to our asylum system, including tougher legislation, increased returns and enhanced enforcement activity to target illegal working. 'Anyone who seeks to smuggle people into the country in this way faces arrest, prosecution and a jail sentence.' 'Low-risk' yachts A former soldier turned people smuggler said earlier this year that yachts were still being used because of the low risk of being caught at marinas that could be protected with no more security than a caravan site. The ex-soldier, who the BBC named as 'Nick', said he had chosen to speak out because he was 'angry' he had been jailed for a crime that was still very possible to commit. He claimed to know people who, in the past year, had used the same routes and methods as him. The smuggling routes – whether by yacht or ferry – were 'easy' and 'low-risk', he said. Border Force is responsible for securing the 11,000 miles of UK coastline, but the security of harbours and marinas rests with private operators, Charlie Eastaugh, the force's director of maritime, told the BBC. 'We patrol 24/7, we carry out proactive, as well as reactive, operations,' he said – citing the luxury yacht, hiding the 20 Albanians below deck, which was intercepted en route to Newquay in Cornwall last month.
ITV News
24-04-2025
- ITV News
Albanian nationals found hidden below deck on yacht in Cornwall
A total of 20 people believed to be Albanian nationals have been found hidden below deck on a yacht in Cornwall. Suspected people smugglers have been arrested after the vessel was seen heading for the South Coast of Britain. When Border Force officers searched the yacht they found 20 passengers - 19 men and one woman - hidden below deck. On Sunday 13 April, Border Force intercepted the yacht in the English Channel bound for Falmouth, Cornwall. The passengers onboard have been detained pending removal. One of the men has been released from the criminal investigation but has been detained as he is illegally present in the UK. Albanian national Bleda Bega, 44, has been charged with facilitation of illegal entry in connection to the incident. He is in custody, and will appear at Bodmin Law Courts on the 24 April. Two further men, both Albanian nationals, were arrested on suspicion of facilitation of illegal entry. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice. 'That's why this government has put forward a serious, credible plan to finally restore order to our asylum system, including tougher enforcement powers, ramping up returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade and a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.' "Our Border Force teams also maintain constant vigilance over attempts to enter the UK illegally, using state of the art technology and surveillance capabilities. Anyone who seeks to smuggle people into the country in this way faces arrest, prosecution and a jail sentence."
