A man has been charged with being involved in a conspiracy to smuggle 17 men, women and children into the UK in the back of a van

Romanian national Vasile Costache, aged 53, previously of Hounslow in London, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers at Luton airport on Monday 27 September. He was about to board a flight to Bucharest.

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His arrest was linked to an operation in June 2019 which saw a British-registered Mercedes van intercepted by Dutch police, who were working with the NCA.