An Albanian fisherman faces jail after being caught trying to smuggle 17 illegal migrants into Britain aboard a 40ft yacht.
Border security officers intercepted 58-year-old Eno Gajda near Portland in Dorset after tracking his vessel across one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Gajda had sailed the 40ft yacht from Dielette, near Cherbourg in France, in an attempt to reach the UK undetected.
Border Security Command (BSC) and National Crime Agency (NCA) officers tracked the vessel before BSC officers boarded it off the Dorset coast. Gajda was apprehended and the yacht was escorted to Portland marina harbour.
Immigration authorities removed 16 Albanian men and one male minor from the boat.
Guilty plea at Bournemouth court
Gajda was questioned by NCA officers and charged with facilitating illegal immigration.
The 58-year-old pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on Nov 18.
This was a brazen attempt to smuggle a group of vulnerable migrants to the UK.
Andy Tickner, NCA branch commander
Andy Tickner, NCA branch commander, said:
This was a brazen attempt to smuggle a group of vulnerable migrants to the UK.
Although Gajda had some experience at sea, navigating across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes was highly dangerous and put many lives at risk.
Targeting people smugglers like this remains a priority for the NCA, and we’re doing all we can to disrupt and dismantle the gangs involved, wherever they operate.
Charlie Eastaugh, director of maritime and small boats at BSC, said:
This conviction is a testament to the outstanding work of Border Security Command officers and National Crime Agency investigators.
People smugglers care about profit, not the lives they put at risk. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring them to justice.
Gangs seeking alternative routes
The interception comes as people smugglers diversify their routes to avoid UK surveillance operations in the Channel and an increased number of officers patrolling beaches in northern France.
Criminal networks are increasingly using alternative craft and locations along the coastline:
- Cornwall: Two Albanians were among 10 people arrested last month after a powerboat carrying illegal migrants arrived at a tiny Cornish harbour.
- Dover: Conventional Channel dinghies landed undetected at two beaches near Dover last week.
- Clacton-on-Sea: Five men were charged with immigration offences after landing a boat at Holland-on-Sea on July 1.
- Chichester: The NCA and BSC intercepted a yacht carrying seven Albanian illegal migrants at Chichester marina in May.
People smuggling is a lucrative market often targeted at specific nationalities, with migrants sometimes charged five-figure sums, according to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory.
The NCA confirmed it has more than 100 ongoing investigations into individuals or networks involved in people smuggling.