Portsmouth man caught trying to smuggle Albanian immigrants into the UK is jailed

Joshua Van Praagh, from Portsmouth, was caught red-handed as he prepared to sail his boat from the French port of Cherbourg.

The 25-year-old was apprehended by French authorities following a co-ordinated investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and border force.

Van Praagh was arrested on June 27, alongside Albanian national Armando Hodo, 25, having sailed the boat from the Isle of Wight two days earlier.

Appearing in a French court in Cherbourg on July 2, Van Praagh was sentenced to three years behind bars and banned from returning to France for 10 years.

Fellow smuggler Hodo was also jailed for three years and banned from France, the NCA announced this evening.

NCA deputy director Matthew Long praised the work between the UK and French authorities.

He added: ‘We recognise the threat posed by criminal networks involved in immigration crime, and we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle them.

‘People smugglers treat migrants as a commodity to be profited from, and are content to put them in situations of extreme danger. That is why this type of crime is a priority for us.’

Detective Inspector Clair Trueman, from SEROCU, insisted they would continue battle people smuggling gangs

‘These are serious crimes, where vulnerable people have their lives put at unnecessary risk in order to make money without any considerations for their welfare,’ she said.

‘SEROCU will continue to work jointly with the NCA, Border Force and authorities abroad to catch these organised crime groups and protect those at risk from them.’

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Chris Philp, minister for immigration compliance and courts, said: ‘These convictions demonstrate the determination of law enforcement partners and authorities on both sides of the Channel to put the criminals responsible for small boat crossings behind bars.

‘The new joint intelligence cell which was agreed during mine and the Home Secretary’s visit with the newly appointed French Interior Minister at the weekend builds on this effective work. For the benefit of both our countries we will continue to crack down on the gangs behind these vile people smuggling operations.’

A 54-year-old man from London, was also convicted, but has appealed and now faces a re-trial. He was also arrested on June 27 in Cherbourg.

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