Albanian gang member jailed in UK for smuggling migrants into country

An Albanian man who was part of a gang that smuggled migrants into the UK from France and Belgium has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Jetmir Myrtaj, 35, who lived in Leicester, was sentenced on Tuesday at Nottingham Crown Court for his role in organizing “dangerous” journeys across the English Channel, the National Crime Agency said.

He was was the fourth member of the people-smuggling ring to be sentenced. Three co-defendants — Albanians Banet Tershana and Klodian Shenaj, and British national Desmond Rice — were jailed for between four-and-a-half and five years on Friday. A fifth defendant, Arsen Feci, failed to appear in court. It is believed that he left the country.

The NCA said the coast guard first spotted members of the gang offloading migrants at a bay in Kent on Oct. 8. They used the same location as the destination for a second crossing on Oct. 23

Myrtaj had anchored an inflatable, rigid-hulled boat in Essex under a fake name and repaired it so that it was seaworthy, Sky News reported. The gang also bought a second boat and when it was intercepted by Belgian authorities, it was found to have only six life jackets, described as inadequate, for 12 migrants on board, some of whom were children.

“Our investigators worked tirelessly to identify members of this people-smuggling network and take action before they could arrange any more dangerous crossings,” NCA Branch Commander Derek Evans said after the first three members of the gang were sentenced on Friday.

“Tershana was the organizer, financier and collected payment from migrants, Shenaj was the conduit between mainland Europe-based facilitators and the UK, and Myrtaj and Rice were integral to facilitating the crossings.

“Tackling organized immigration crime is a priority for the NCA and we will continue to target people smugglers both in the UK and overseas.”