Three men have been jailed for a total of more than 19 years after pleading guilty to human trafficking and immigration offences.
They were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 October.
Denis Draga, 23 (26.01.1995), an Albanian national from Stoneleigh Avenue, Enfield had previously pleaded guilty to:
– Possession with intent to supply Class A drugs;
– Two counts of facilitating illegal entry into the UK;
– Three counts of possession of fraudulent documents with intent;
– Conspiracy to supply Class A drugs;
– Conspiracy to supply Class B drugs; and,
– Possession of criminal property.
He was sentenced to twelve years’ imprisonment.
Vitor Pichol, 33 (20.07.1985), of Stoneleigh Avenue, Enfield had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of fraudulent documents, four counts of possession of false identification with intent, and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to five and a half years’ imprisonment.
Viktor Balko, 44 (13.04.1974) from the Ukraine previously pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitating illegal entry into the United Kingdom. He was sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment.
For all defendants, a deportation order will be imposed upon release and a timetable set for a confiscation hearing.
The sentences follow a complex intelligence-led investigation by the Met’s Organised Crime Command into a crime group concerned in human trafficking.
On 15 March 2018, Draga was observed arriving at a service station in Folkestone where he met Viktor Balko, who was waiting at the location in a lorry.
Two other men were seen getting out of the lorry and following Draga back to his car. Draga drove away with the men before being detained by police. The two passengers, who both had Albanian passports, were later arrested for immigration offences.
Draga was arrested for facilitating illegal entry into the UK. Balko was stopped by police a short distance away on the M20 and detained.
A search of Draga’s car was carried out, and a quantity of cash and false ID documentation was recovered.
Police then searched two addresses in Enfield and Barnet linked to Draga, and a kilogram of diamorphine (heroin), false ID documents and forged wage and bank statements were recovered. Nearly £50,000 was recovered from a safe in one of the properties.
A third man, Vitor Pichol, who also resided at one of the properties, was later arrested for drug offences.
Detective Inspector Niall McSheffrey from the Met’s Organised Crime Command said: “I am incredibly proud of my officers who carried out this long and protracted investigation, working in difficult conditions throughout the winter, to dismantle an organised crime group involved in human trafficking.
“Those involved in organised immigration crime show little respect for the harm or suffering caused to those being brought into the UK.
“The sentences reflect the level of criminality that this group were involved in and this case should send a clear message that the Met will do everything within its power to bring such offenders to justice.”