Man who tried to smuggle two Albian nationals into UK via Newhaven is jailed

Belarussian Alex Razinkou was jailed for two years at Lewes Crown Court yesterday (7 April 2020), a Home Office spokesman said.

Razinkou, 52, admitted a charge of facilitating a breach of the UK’s immigration laws at an earlier hearing.

He added: “On January 22 this year, Border Force officers at the East Sussex port stopped a Mercedes lorry and trailer driven by Razinkou after it had arrived on the ferry from Dieppe.

“When officers searched the lorry’s cab, they found a woman and a man hidden in sleeping bags in the top bunk behind the driver’s seat.

“Both of them had been strapped in place and been covered with bags and a mattress and neither had leave to enter the UK.”

Razinkou was then arrested on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK, according to the spokesman.

Regional director, Border Force South, Dean Oughton said: “This was an important detection. We will continue to ensure that people smugglers and traffickers, whose actions so often endanger others, face the full consequences of their crimes.”

Following Razinko’s arrest, the case was passed to Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) team.

Deputy director Dave Fairclough, from Immigration Enforcement CFI added: “People will draw their own conclusions about what drove Razinkou, who insisted he was not financially motivated, to commit this offence.

“Whatever his motivation, we can be confident that the welfare of his human cargo was low on his list of priorities.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that anyone involved with this kind of illegal activity will be caught and brought before the courts.”

In addition to the two year jail term, Razinkou was also disqualified from driving for three years.

Following the attempted smuggling incident, the Albanian couple were returned to France on the next ferry.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

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