Chelmsford Crown Court has sentenced four lorry drivers from Poland to five years in jail, after they pleaded guilty to people smuggling.
The court heard that the four defendants – Dariusz Mokrogulski, Dariusz Drozdz, Grzegoez Czechowski and Radoslaw Cwikla – had deliberately planned the illegal entry into the port of Harwich of 68 people hidden in their lorries.
The four men admitted a charge that, between 1 May 2015 and 4 June 2015, they conspired together and with others unknown to facilitate the illegal entry of non-European citizens into the United Kingdom, in contravention of section 25(1) of the Immigration Act 1971.
Among those found in the lorries were Afghan, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian nationals – including 15 children and two pregnant women.
The senior lawyer in CPS East of England Complex Casework Unit, Paul Scothern, said after the hearing:
“At first, the drivers denied any knowledge of loading or transporting the immigrants – but we presented a strong and compelling case against each of them, with the result that they pleaded guilty on their first appearance at court.
“The CPS is committed to prosecuting people traffickers and also to stop them profiting from their illegal business.
“We will be seeking the confiscation and forfeiture of the lorries owned by the defendants which were an essential tool used to commit this crime.”
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