Immigration Crime Gang Slapped with £326k Payback Order
Six members of a ruthless international immigration crime ring have been hit with a whopping £326,000 confiscation order following a major probe by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU).
£326,000 or Jail: Gang Faces Hard Cash or Hard Time
The gang, convicted of running an organised immigration crime network, faced Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearings stretching from November 2019 to June 2020. Last Monday (22 June) at Woolwich Crown Court, six key players were told to cough up or face extended jail terms.
- Alan Hoger, 34, gang boss from St Leonards-On-Sea, East Sussex, was slammed with a £247,690 payback after prosecutors said he gained over £544,000 from crime.
- Kveta Conkova, Hoger’s wife, 32, was ordered to pay a token £1 after being deemed to’ve benefited £51,980 but having no assets.
- Bakhtyar Mohammed, 47 from Bolton, ordered to pay £43,799 after benefiting almost £138,000.
- Goran Ahmed, 35, from Hastings, East Sussex, hit with a £22,735 order.
- Alan Salam, 35, from Eastbourne, handed a £3,380 payback.
- Cristinel Samson, 51, from Folkestone, facing £9,000 confiscation.
The court demanded the money be paid within three months or the gang face extra prison time. The judge warned any future assets will also be seized to cover outstanding debts.
How the Immigration Crime Ring Operated
After a 2.5-year investigation and trials in 2018-19, 13 crooks were convicted for conspiracy to assist illegal immigration, money laundering, and perverting justice — earning a combined 45 years behind bars.
Detectives uncovered a network smuggling people from Iraq and Kurdistan to the UK. The victims were moved through Europe — often hidden in lorries crossing the Channel from Belgium.
Victims paid between £8,000 to £10,000 each to the gang. If caught in the UK, they claimed asylum and were released to family members who also paid up.
Joint Police Force Cracks Down on Crime Cash
SEROCU led the investigation with Sussex, Kent, Devon and Cornwall, West Midlands, Nottinghamshire Police and UK Border Force. Financial investigators are now targeting the gang’s criminal profits.
“We will keep working to recover every penny these criminals have made illegally,” said Senior Financial Investigator David Chave. “Removing their cash is key to disrupting organised crime.”
