A fisherman has admitted facilitating illegal immigration at Bournemouth Crown Court after a yacht carrying 17 migrants from France was intercepted off the Dorset coast near Portland in August. A fisherman has been convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court after skippering a yacht from France. Eno Gajda, who is 58, was investigated by the National Crime Agency after Border Security Command officers arrested him off the Dorset coast on 27 August, when the 40ft yacht was intercepted on its way towards Portland. The yacht had travelled from Dielette in France with 16 Albanian men and one male minor
A fisherman has been convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court after skippering a yacht from France.
Eno Gajda, who is 58, was investigated by the National Crime Agency after Border Security Command officers arrested him off the Dorset coast on 27 August, when the 40ft yacht was intercepted on its way towards Portland.
The yacht had travelled from Dielette in France with 16 Albanian men and one male minor on board, before officers boarded it, apprehended Gajda and escorted the vessel into Portland Marina Harbour.
The migrants were dealt with by immigration authorities, and Gajda was questioned by NCA officers before being charged with facilitating illegal immigration, which he admitted at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday.
Andy Tickner, an NCA branch commander, said it was a “brazen attempt” to smuggle vulnerable migrants to the UK, and said crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes was “highly dangerous”.
Gajda is due to be sentenced at the same court on 18 November, while Charlie Eastaugh, from Border Security Command, said officers would keep working with law enforcement partners to bring people smugglers to justice.
