People Smugglers Jailed for £12k Migrant Ferry Scheme
Two men have been slammed behind bars for smuggling desperate migrants into the UK using light aircraft and hidden van compartments. Mohammed, 32, was raking in a hefty £12,000 per person, working alongside pilot Billy Hems to drop migrants at remote UK airfields before sneaking them in via secret ‘hides’ on vans.
From Dawn Flights to Secret Van Hides
The pair operated dawn flights from the Continent, landing at quiet airstrips like Church Farm near Banbury. Hems regularly flew between the UK and France, making suspected smuggling trips to countryside airfields. Migrants were then smuggled further in vans specially fitted with concealed compartments.
Police Sting Brings Down Smuggling Ring
The West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit teamed up with the Home Office and Belgian authorities to crack the ring. In October 2019, they arrested Mohammed at his Symonds Yat home as seven Kurdish migrants, including a child, were intercepted in a van en route to Belgium. Earlier evidence linked Mohammed to a VW van stopped in Dunkirk carrying migrants, and phone data tied the operation to a car wash he ran.
Jail Time Delivered: Justice Served
Mohammed and Hems admitted conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, with Mohammed also admitting drug supply charges. At Worcester Crown Court, Mohammed was locked up for seven and a half years, while Hems got two and a half years.
Detective Inspector Julie Woods said: “Mohammed and Hems were making big money on the plight and desperation of migrants. Some were even put to work as cheap labour at Mohammed’s car wash.”
Justice Minister Tom Pursglove added: “These individuals showed blatant disregard for UK laws and have rightly paid the price. We’re cracking down on people smugglers who risk lives for profit, dismantling smuggling networks through new legislation.”
