Overview
- The London-based ring, sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, was convicted of conspiring to facilitate illegal entry to the UK.
- Toni Liko, 42, and Klement Gjika, 44, received five years and eight months each, while Stelian Bodnariu, 37, got three years and four months.
- The gang hid people in HGVs, stopped at M25 service stations to switch them into other vehicles, and charged £11,000 per journey.
- Investigators tracked vehicles, reviewed CCTV at M25 forecourts, ran surveillance and mined phones, which showed messages setting up handoffs with HGV drivers.
- Police tied the scheme to up to 20 Albanian migrants over 18 months and urged reports of people-smuggling to 101 or to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.