Eight Members of Criminal Gang Face Jail After Migrant Woman Found in Glovebox
Eight gang members are set to be sentenced after a woman was discovered hidden in a car’s glovebox during a border check
Manchester, UK, People Smuggling, Migrant, Illegal Immigration
Manchester: So, here’s the scoop. Eight members of a people smuggling gang are in hot water after a woman was found stuffed in a car’s glovebox. Can you believe it?
Three of them are already facing jail time for helping with illegal immigration. The other five might join them soon, according to the Home Office. It all started when Border Force officers discovered the Vietnamese woman hidden behind the dashboard of a Vauxhall Vectra back in June 2022.
This shocking find kicked off an investigation that revealed a nasty smuggling network. They even seized fake documents, over 20,000 illegal cigarettes, and a stash of cash worth £6,000.
Three gang members went through a 10-week trial after denying the charges. Redar Curtis, Jozef Kadet, and Khales Akram Jabar were found guilty at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Between 2022 and 2024, this gang was busy facilitating illegal immigration into the UK, using counterfeit IDs made in a forgery factory in Greece. Talk about a serious operation!
Five other members, including two brothers, admitted to their roles in the scheme. Mukhlis Hamadamin, for instance, pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to assisting unlawful immigration and fraud.
The woman was discovered in a vehicle driven by Jozef Balog when he crossed the UK border from France. He got a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence last January for his part in this mess.
In July 2022, Curtis’s wife, Emily Etherington, was caught hiding another woman in her car’s dashboard. This led to a bigger investigation that linked back to Curtis.
All eight gang members are set to appear in court again on January 29, where they’ll likely find out their fate. The Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, made it clear that these gangs are ruthless and exploit vulnerable people for profit.
Paul Moran from the Home Office emphasized that this case was the result of a lengthy investigation involving international cooperation to dismantle the smuggling operation. It’s a stark reminder of how some people prioritize profit over safety.