Five east London taxi drivers 'involved in people smuggling operation which ferried migrants in and out of UK using lorries' appear in court

  • The charges follow the National Crime Agency probe Operation Symbolry
  • The probe was into a London-based gang involved in smuggling migrants
  • The five men are aged between 40 and 52 and all living in east London
  • They appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court and were bailed

Five London taxi drivers charged with people smuggling offences have appeared in court.

The charges follow a National Crime Agency (NCA) probe, code-named Operation Symbolry, into a London-based gang involved in smuggling migrants in and out of the UK using lorries.

The five men, aged between 40 and 52 and all living in east London, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court.

Alauddin Ahmad, 49, of Shadwell, east London, is charged with five counts of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

The five men, aged between 40 and 52 and all living in east London, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court (pictured)

The five men, aged between 40 and 52 and all living in east London, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court (pictured)

Ahknu Hussain, 48, of Spitalfields, east London, is charged with four counts of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

Amran Hussain, 40, of Bromley-by-Bow, Fozol Miah, 41, of Ilford, and 52-year-old Kaysor Miah, of Poplar, all east London, are each charged with one count of conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration.

They were all bailed to appear before Snaresbrook Crown Court later this month.

The taxi drivers are accused of moving migrants to and from rendezvous points with HGVs which would then be used to smuggle them across the Channel. A number of the lorries were later intercepted by the NCA.

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