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Albanian fisherman tried to smuggle 17 migrants into Britain

Story by Charles Hymas
• 14h • 2 min read

An Albanian fisherman was caught off the south coast of England trying to smuggle 17 migrants into the UK on a yacht.
Eno Gajda, 58, was convicted of facilitating illegal migration on Monday after sailing the 40ft yacht from Dielette, near Cherbourg in France.
His vessel was tracked by Border Security Command (BSC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) before being intercepted near Portland in Dorset by BSC officers.



Eno Gajda was convicted of facilitating illegal migration on Monday after sailing from France with 17 migrants - NCA

They boarded the yacht and apprehended Gajda before escorting the vessel to Portland marina harbour, where 16 Albanian men and one male minor were removed.
They were dealt with by the immigration authorities and Gajda was questioned by NCA officers.
Gajda was charged with facilitating illegal immigration and pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on Nov 18.

‘Brazen attempt’ at people smuggling

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.”
It comes amid a series of interceptions of yachts as people smugglers diversify their routes to avoid UK surveillance operations in the Channel and an increased number of officers patrolling beaches in the north of France.

Two Albanians were among 10 people arrested after a powerboat carrying illegal migrants turned up at a tiny Cornish harbour last month in an attempt to smuggle them into the UK.
Last week, there were uncontrolled landings by more conventional Channel dinghies when migrants arrived at two beaches near Dover undetected.
Five men were charged with immigration offences after landing a boat at Holland-on-Sea in Clacton-on-Sea on July 1. The NCA and BSC also intercepted a yacht carrying seven Albanian illegal migrants in May when it arrived at Chichester marina.
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 said it had more than 100 investigations ongoing into individuals or networks involved in people smuggling.

Albanian fisherman tried to smuggle 17 migrants into Britain