Salford man jailed after being part of 'despicable' plot to smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK
The criminal gang hoped to pocket £4,000 for each person brought into the country
Mark Minister, 47, of Hodge Road, Walkden, Salford, (Image: NCA)
A Salford man who was part of a 'despicable' plot to smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK has been jailed for five years.
The criminal gang hoped to pocket £4,000 for each person brought into the country.
Mark Minister, 47, acted as a middle man for the group, which was brought down following an undercover operation by the National Crime Agency.
He was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday.
Two other men - Scott Downie, 31, and Anthony Corkovic, 28, both also from Salford - were jailed in October 2017 for their part in the conspiracy.
Anthony Corkovic(Image: Manchester Evening News)
A court heard how in 2017, NCA officers discovered the gang were planning to set up a scheme to smuggle people into the country.
Plans were made to collect around 10 people from the continent in May that year, but the the attempt was called off.
Minister, of Hodge Road, Walkden, was arrested in August and subsequently pleaded guilty to assisting in unlawful immigration.
After the failed attempt Corkovic, of Murray Street, Salford, and Downie, of Seedley Park Road, Salford, were involved in a second conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
Scott Downie(Image: Manchester Evening News)
They both pleaded guilty and were each jailed for seven years along with Jetlind Gjyriqi, of Approach Road, Merton, London.
Judge Elizabeth Nicholls, described Minister’s offending as 'despicable' saying he was not concerned about the fate of the people being smuggled.
NCA senior investigating officer Jez Hope said: “We are doing everything possible to prevent people smuggling which is a priority threat for the National Crime Agency.
“We have knocked a hole in this organised crime group’s abilities.
“The crime group treated people as a commodity to make profit from; perfectly happy to risk their safety on incredibly dangerous journeys over hundreds of miles in the back of lorries.
“Organised immigration crime cuts across borders so it’s vital that international law enforcement shares intelligence and works together.”