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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| People-smuggling leader is jailed | People-smuggling leader is jailed |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A ringleader of one of Europe's biggest people-smuggling operations has been jailed for eight and a half years. | A ringleader of one of Europe's biggest people-smuggling operations has been jailed for eight and a half years. |
| Turkish national Ramazan Zorlu, 43, had pleaded guilty to trafficking. | Turkish national Ramazan Zorlu, 43, had pleaded guilty to trafficking. |
| Zorlu was arrested alongside Ali Riza Gun, 47, in raids in London last year. Gun had also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date. | Zorlu was arrested alongside Ali Riza Gun, 47, in raids in London last year. Gun had also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date. |
| Scotland Yard described the operation, codenamed Bluesky, which involved thousands of people, as its biggest investigation into human smuggling. | Scotland Yard described the operation, codenamed Bluesky, which involved thousands of people, as its biggest investigation into human smuggling. |
| A judge at Croydon Crown Court said Zorlu should be deported once he finished serving his sentence. | A judge at Croydon Crown Court said Zorlu should be deported once he finished serving his sentence. |
| The smuggling network run by Zorlu, Gun and another Turkish national, Hassan Eroglu, ran into millions of pounds. | The smuggling network run by Zorlu, Gun and another Turkish national, Hassan Eroglu, ran into millions of pounds. |
| 'Deplorable conditions' | 'Deplorable conditions' |
| Det Ch Supt Maxine de Brunner said the police could not quantify the exact number of people smuggled into the UK before the network was finally smashed. | |
| Eroglu, 47, one the main ringleaders running the network along with Zorlu and Gun, was jailed for six years at an earlier hearing. | Eroglu, 47, one the main ringleaders running the network along with Zorlu and Gun, was jailed for six years at an earlier hearing. |
| Another eight defendants arrested in connection with the investigation have already admitted offences and some have been jailed. | Another eight defendants arrested in connection with the investigation have already admitted offences and some have been jailed. |
| The immigrants were often found starving and dehydrated | The immigrants were often found starving and dehydrated |
| The illegal immigrants brought into the UK were mostly from Turkey, and some from Iraq. | The illegal immigrants brought into the UK were mostly from Turkey, and some from Iraq. |
| Sentencing Zorlu, Judge Nicholas Ainley told the court: "I find it hard to conceive of a more serious case of this type of offence coming before the courts." | Sentencing Zorlu, Judge Nicholas Ainley told the court: "I find it hard to conceive of a more serious case of this type of offence coming before the courts." |
| Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court that people were transported on "planes, trains, lorries and cars" to evade customs and in "deplorable conditions". | Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court that people were transported on "planes, trains, lorries and cars" to evade customs and in "deplorable conditions". |
| He said in one case four young children in a van were found gasping for breath by French border police. | He said in one case four young children in a van were found gasping for breath by French border police. |
| Often a "coffin-like" secret metal compartment welded to the underside of the lorries was used to transport "customers". | Often a "coffin-like" secret metal compartment welded to the underside of the lorries was used to transport "customers". |
| "There is a significance in trying to put the compartment as low as possible ...to try to avoid police techniques designed to find evidence of breathing and heartbeats," he said. | "There is a significance in trying to put the compartment as low as possible ...to try to avoid police techniques designed to find evidence of breathing and heartbeats," he said. |
| People would be crammed into lorries | People would be crammed into lorries |
| Speaking after the sentencing, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Hilary Bradfield said the illegal immigrants would often be forced to go without food or water for days. | Speaking after the sentencing, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Hilary Bradfield said the illegal immigrants would often be forced to go without food or water for days. |
| "This included women, at least one of whom was pregnant at the time, and several children." | "This included women, at least one of whom was pregnant at the time, and several children." |
| Ms de Brunner said they had identified and arrested more than 400 would-be illegal immigrants as a result of the investigations. | Ms de Brunner said they had identified and arrested more than 400 would-be illegal immigrants as a result of the investigations. |
| "The three network heads saw themselves as untouchable by the law. They used 39 mobile phones to run the organisation and try to avoid detection," she said. | "The three network heads saw themselves as untouchable by the law. They used 39 mobile phones to run the organisation and try to avoid detection," she said. |
| The operation involved investigations across 21 European countries and the UK and more than 60 arrests linked to the ring have been made across Europe, police said. | The operation involved investigations across 21 European countries and the UK and more than 60 arrests linked to the ring have been made across Europe, police said. |
| Raids were carried out at houses and business premises across London in Enfield, Bexleyheath, Barnet, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Hammersmith. | Raids were carried out at houses and business premises across London in Enfield, Bexleyheath, Barnet, Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Hammersmith. |
| Law enforcement officials from France, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Denmark and Europol all contributed to the investigation. | Law enforcement officials from France, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Denmark and Europol all contributed to the investigation. |
| Judge Ainley told Zorlu that he was "clearly at the heart" of the network and that he considered people "more as commodities rather than individuals". | Judge Ainley told Zorlu that he was "clearly at the heart" of the network and that he considered people "more as commodities rather than individuals". |