Author: BBC News (bbc.com)
False identity papers were used to charter a yacht in an attempt to smuggle 19 migrants into the UK, a court has heard.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard the yacht arrived from the Netherlands to Southwold, Suffolk, on 15 October 2017.
It heard nine Ukrainians were found onboard and another 10 were arrested in cars stopped on their way to Ipswich.
Yurii Dzhuraniuk, 26, Mykhailo Roik, 27, Evhenii Vasilikov, 30, and Yuri Karakin, 27, deny people smuggling.
Opening the case, prosecutor Tim Hunter told the court Mr Vasilikov used false identity papers to hire the yacht, Flamingo, from a company called Happy Sailing in the Netherlands.
Paperwork was found on the boat, he said.
It was heard police stopped the cars carrying 10 Ukrainian migrants on the A12 at Blythburgh and Yoxford.
Mr Roik and Mr Dzhuraniuk were the drivers of the cars, the court was told.
When interviewed, Mr Roik said he had arrived in the UK five years ago by boat and now lived in London, Mr Hunter said.
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.
Mr Hunter said this was to do with both travelling to Suffolk to collect the migrants.
The court was told stamps in the passports of both Mr Vasilikov and Mr Karakin showed they had entered Turkey on 2 July and left on 8 August.
It showed the two operated together, Mr Hunter said.
The trial continues.
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-43715011
