Lorry Drivers Caught in Major People Smuggling Operation
Two foreign nationals have received prison sentences for attempting to smuggle almost 50 people out of the United Kingdom concealed in commercial vehicles. The men, both Romanian citizens, were intercepted by the National Crime Agency in a coordinated operation that exposed a sophisticated people smuggling network operating through Kent.
The Arrests and Evidence
Marius Bajenaru, aged 44, and Sorin-Costinel Ivan, 46, were arrested on September 18 following a targeted investigation. Bajenaru was caught with 17 migrants hidden in the rear of his Romanian-registered panel van. Authorities discovered approximately £4,000 in cash stored in a black plastic bag within the vehicle's cab.
Ivan's involvement proved even more substantial, with 32 individuals, predominantly Bangladeshi nationals, found concealed in the trailer of his heavy goods vehicle. During the search, investigators uncovered three bundles of cash totalling £9,950 in his lorry's cab.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Both defendants appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, November 25, where they faced charges related to facilitating illegal immigration. Bajenaru provided a full confession during interviews with NCA investigators, admitting he had collected the migrants from a layby on the A20 near Ashford in Kent. He disclosed that he stood to receive approximately £200 for each person he successfully smuggled across the Channel to France.
Ivan initially denied knowledge of the migrants in his trailer, though he conceded having visited the same A20 layby near Ashford. He subsequently changed his plea and admitted to the immigration offence.
The court handed down significant prison sentences, with Ivan receiving three years and four months imprisonment, while Bajenaru was sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars.
Official Response and Wider Warning
John Turner, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency, emphasised the seriousness of the crime. 'People smuggling gangs will pitch this as a low-risk way of making extra money to drivers, but as this case shows it is anything but,' he stated.
Turner further highlighted that 'those caught face potentially life-changing prison sentences' and condemned criminal networks that 'show no regard for the safety of those they transport, treating people as commodities.'
The case emerges just weeks after the NCA issued warnings about organised crime groups actively recruiting professional drivers to smuggle people in both directions across the English Channel. The agency continues to work with national and international partners to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous operations.
