Saturday, January 23, 2021

Vietnamese people smugglers sentenced

 



Members of a people-smuggling network responsible for the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who suffocated in a sealed container have been jailed for up to 27 years.

Ronan Hughes, 41, and Gheorge Nica, 43, “played leading roles” in the Essex gang and were sentenced to 20 years and 27 years respectively.

The gang, seven of whom were sentenced today, offered “VIP” services for up to £13,000 a head but packed too many migrants into a shipping container used to transport them from Belgium.

Passing sentence, the judge said that the victims died “excruciatingly slow” deaths in the container, which was designed for refrigeration. The victims were starved for oxygen and tried to smash and claw their way out.

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