A British national who attempted to smuggle 5 migrants, including a 5-year-old child, has been sentenced following a Home Office investigation
Joshua Bynoe (29) has been jailed for 3 years after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.
The court heard how on Monday 24 January 2019, Border Force officers conducted a search of a motorhome, driven by Bynoe, bound for the UK in Coquelles, France.
Upon searching the cabin, officers discovered 5 Afghan nationals, including a 5-year-old child, concealed inside storage benches in cramped claustrophobic conditions.
Bynoe was arrested at the scene and taken into custody by Border Force staff and Kent Police.
The court heard how Bynoe had links to a criminal smuggling gang and had concocted a scheme to smuggle the migrants in the storage compartments from Europe into the UK.
Today (Friday 6 September 2024), at Canterbury Crown Court, Bynoe was sentenced to 3 years in prison for assisting unlawful immigration after being found guilty at an earlier hearing.
This sentencing is the latest development in an extensive investigation launched by Home Office Criminal and Financial investigators into people smuggling routes into the UK.
Home Office Head Of South East Region Criminal & Financial Investigations – Steve Blackwell said: