Two Ukranian men appear in court after conspiring to smuggle migrants into country on pleasure boat - trial date set

Vladyslav Cherniavskyi, 37, and Oleksandr Yavtushenko, 43, have appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court charged with facilitating illegal immigration.

This comes following a joint operation involving the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and French law enforcement which saw the interception of a yacht off the Isle of Wight coast on July 20.

The vessel was escorted into Gosport Marina where three Albanian males and a Vietnamese female, were handed over to the immigration authorities, according to the NCA.

Julian Harriman, NCA senior investigating officer, previously said: "This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale, which has been supported by Border Force.

"Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved."

Judge David Melville KC adjourned the hearing until October 3 with a trial date set for January 12. He also confirmed both of the defendants will be remanded in custody.

More updates to follow.