Seven members of a London-based people smuggling gang were sentenced to a total of 69 years and four months for transporting migrants in refrigerated lorries. The ringleader, Azize Benaniba, received a 12-year prison sentence. The gang brought North African migrants into the UK on tourist visas and charged them up to 1,200 for transport to France. Over 20 smuggling runs were identified, and the National Crime Agency (NCA) convicted 12 members of the group due to a comprehensive investigation.
The head of the gang, 41-year-old Algerian national Azize Benaniba, was jailed for 12 years and 11 months at Isleworth Crown Court today.
In total 12 members of the crime group have been convicted as a result of the NCA's extensive investigation.
These smugglers had no care for the safety or wellbeing of the people they crammed into lorry trailers; their only concern was making money.
Investigators from the National Crime Agency identified more than 20 separate smuggling runs made between February and October 2023.
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