A HAMPSHIRE man has been locked up for his part in a people smuggling ring, a court heard.

Floreand Lika has been jailed for four years and four months. 

The 27-year-old was responsible for transporting fellow Albanians to the UK from France.  

A boat containing 12 suspected illegal immigrants travelling from Cherbourg arrived at East Cowes Marina in Hampshire in March 2020.

Then in June, six Albanians were found aboard a boat without the necessary documents to enter the UK legally.  

They had been stopped during a joint operation with South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), the National Crime Agency and French authorities.

Lika was arrested on June 14 and later pleaded guilty to breaching UK immigration law at Portsmouth Crown Court.  

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Clair Trueman, from SEROCU, said: “People making perilous crossings to enter the United Kingdom take a gamble with their lives and those who facilitate this offence should rightly be brought before a court. Our investigation uncovered Lika’s involvement in what was organised international crime on a large scale so we continued our efforts to trace him, working closely in partnership with other law enforcement partners. 

“The evidence Lika faced was so strong that he pleaded guilty, acknowledging his role in this people smuggling ring. SEROCU officers continue to work to tackle the threat organised crime poses to the Southeast and beyond.”