Two Ukrainians have been jailed in the UK for an amateurish attempt at smuggling two Albanians into the UK on a yacht.
Denys Khvatkov, 19, and Bohdan Lutskyi, 39, arrived with their passengers in the eastern English seaside town of Southwold where border officials were waiting for them after being tipped off by Dutch colleagues.
One of the Albanians told police that they had paid the two men £5,000 to be brought into the UK in July.
The Ukrainians, who were said to be minor players in an organised crime gang, were both jailed for two-and-a-half years on Thursday.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “These men are shameless, ruthless criminals who have made money by smuggling people into the UK illegally.
“We will not tolerate these law breakers who, through this international criminal trade, are elbowing the most vulnerable to one side.”
The two Albanians claimed asylum but have since disappeared into the community, Norwich Crown Court was told.
