A people-smuggling gang run by a London-based businessman have been jailed after two Albanian men were found crammed into the boot of a car bound for Britain.
Douglas James McGinn, Michael Tafaro, William Marcus John Foster, and Alexandra Ruth Piasecki were sentenced to a total of nine years and six months on Friday.
A court heard they treated people like “cargo” when attempting to smuggle migrants into Britain.
Tafaro was stopped by Border Force officers in Coquelles, France in March 2021 and a search of his car uncovered two Albanian nationals hidden in the vehicle’s boot.
He was arrested but claimed he had travelled to Belgium to meet a client of his employer -McGinn- who owned a London-based tailoring company.
The 53-year-old said he had made the trip to take measurements at a suit fitting at a hotel in Brussels.
But checks revealed this to be a lie. Data from Tafaro’s phone showed messages with McGinn, 39, sent at the time of the Border Force stop along with detailed instructions on transporting migrants, which they cruelly referred to as "cargo".
The exchanges showed a pre-meditated plan, led by McGinn, including steps to conceal people, covering their tracks by cleaning surfaces they touched and cramming the migrants into the boot at a designated "picnic spot”, Home Office investigators said.
They also identified a location shared by McGinn via the social media app Telegram that indicated where the people were smuggled from, which was a short drive from Coquelles Border Controls.
The data downloaded from Tafaro’s phone also implicated Foster in the people trafficking scheme.
The 45-year-old had previously been linked to a smuggling attempt in October 2020, where he had tried to facilitate the illegal entry of three Albanian nationals.
At the time, Foster had been accompanied by Piasecki, 43, who also played a role in the operation, the Home Office said.
Almost £21,000 believed to have been made from illegally trafficking people to the UK was recovered by investigators from a bank account controlled by Foster.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “This gang’s actions were not only illegal, but also inhumane, treating people as ‘cargo’ and putting their lives in danger all for money.
“This case shows the government’s Plan for Change is working, as we continue to bring people smugglers to justice.”
Tafaro, Foster, and Piasecki all pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK during a pre-trial hearing in July 2023. McGinn originally denied the charges but later entered a guilty plea at a hearing in November 2024.
All four smugglers were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.
Foster, from Wangford, was jailed for three years and 10 months, McGinn, from Bourn, received two years imprisonment, Tafaro, from Hatfield, one year and 10 months, and Piasecki, from Bristol, one year and nine months suspended for two years.
Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation Officer, Nadia Kehayova, said: “These criminals showed no regard for human life with their callous actions, referring to the migrants they smuggled as nothing more than cargo and cramming them into a car boot with little room to move or breathe.
“A routine stop of Tafaro’s car led to us unravelling a complex network of criminals with pre-meditated schemes to smuggle people for cash.
“They all exploited vulnerable people for money, putting lives at risk for their own gain.”
