People Smuggler Jailed Nearly a Decade Over Dangerous Migrant Boat Plot
A slick people smuggler who bragged about ferrying 50 migrants a week into the UK has been locked up for nine years and nine months.
Broken-Down Boat Packed with 69 Migrants
Arthuras Jusas, 35, from Lambeth, was caught as part of a six-man gang trying to sneak 69 Albanian migrants into England on a rickety fishing vessel built nearly 60 years ago.
The decrepit 60-year-old boat, which only had 21 life jackets, ran aground twice before reaching British shores.
Setting sail from Ostend, Belgium, the vessel was intercepted near Norfolk by the coastguard and taken into Harwich port in a major operation involving the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, and Essex Police.
How They Got Busted
- The NCA was tipped off by the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre in Lisbon, following reports of suspicious activity from Swedish authorities.
- The vessel was previously stranded and helped by Swedish coastguards 15 days before attempting to gather migrants.
- A laptop seized from the boat revealed the UK gang’s involvement.
- Phone records linked Lithuanian Jusas, Latvian Sergejs Kuliss, and Israeli Kfir Ivgi coordinating the smuggling plot.
Jusas even boasted in an audio message about plans to “bring every week 50 people,” targeting Great Yarmouth as their landing zone despite the vessel’s glaring lack of safety gear.
Gang Members Sentenced, Smuggling Dreams Dashed
- Jusas was jailed for nine years and nine months after pleading guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court.
- Co-conspirators Kuliss (9 years), Ivgi (10 years), and crew members Kosyi (7 years) and Gulpe (8 years) were convicted following an eight-week trial.
- One crew member, Volodymyr Mykhailov, was acquitted.
NCA Director of Investigations Nikki Holland said: “These men had no qualms about trying to smuggle vulnerable migrants on board an unseaworthy vessel, with ambitions to bring in hundreds more using this deadly method. Their sole motivation was monetary greed, so I’m delighted they are now beginning lengthy jail terms for these despicable crimes. We will relentlessly pursue people smugglers and bring them before the courts.”
The gang’s chilling plans have been sunk for good, but the fight against ruthless people traffickers continues.
