Smuggling Kingpin Nabbed in Border Bust
A Romanian ringleader has been locked up for six years after masterminding a people-smuggling operation across the UK-France border.
Lorry Driver Caught with 22 Migrants at Dover
Nicusor Lacatus, 53, recruited drivers to ferry migrants illegally. One, Iosif Sebastian Haprian, 40, was caught red-handed last September trying to smuggle 22 migrants hidden in his lorry at Dover.
Officers found £3,600 cash in Haprian’s cab—payment for the risky run. Phone records later confirmed Haprian’s contact with Lacatus before the attempt. Haprian was jailed for three years last December for people smuggling.
Lacatus Arrested Mid-Escape on M20
The National Crime Agency swooped in November, catching Lacatus at a M20 service station as he tried to flee the country in his van.
At Canterbury Crown Court on 27 March, the smuggling mastermind admitted to facilitating illegal immigration and was sentenced to six years behind bars.
