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Southwold people smuggling bid: Pair found guilty

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Author: BBC NEWS (bbc.com)

Two men have been found guilty of attempting to bring 19 illegal immigrants into the UK by yacht.

The group from Ukraine arrived at Southwold harbour in Suffolk on a boat from the Netherlands in 2017.

Yurii Dzhuraniuk and Mykhailo Roik, both 27, collected 10 of the immigrants and were arrested en route to London, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

They denied people smuggling. Yuri Karakin, 27, was acquitted. Evhenii Vasilikov, 30, had admitted the charge.

Sentencing is due to take place on 10 May.

The trial heard Vasilikov used false identity papers to charter the yacht.

Nine of the 19 illegal immigrants were found on or near the boat.

Dzhuraniuk claimed he had “no idea” he was carrying illegal immigrants in his car, which was stopped on the A12 at Blythburgh.

Roik’s car was stopped further along the A12 at Yoxford.

The court heard examination of mobile phone data showed the drivers were in touch with each other and with a common number – a Ukrainian number.

All four men were from Ukraine and of no fixed abode in the UK.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-43783255

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