Harwich trial: Men 'smuggled 69 people in UK in fishing trawler'

The court heard 72 people were on board the trawler Svanic

Five men have gone on trial accused of trying to smuggle 69 Albanian men into the UK in a converted fishing trawler.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard the 30m (98ft) "Svanic", which had sailed from Belgium on 17 November, also had three crew and 20 life jackets.

Prosecutors said the vessel was headed for Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, but was intercepted in the sea by UK Border Force and escorted to Harwich, Essex.

The defendants deny conspiring to assist unlawful immigration.

In his opening to jurors, prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC said that "using a fishing vessel such as the Svanic is uncommon and more sophisticated" than using lorries or small boats.

"It requires the organisation to procure such a vessel, crew to skipper the boat, upfront fuel and mooring fees, as well as any other incidental payments for repairs and the like," he said.

Prosecutors claim a "multitude of faults" were found on the boat

Mr Badenoch said that after it was seized, the Svanic was found to have been converted, with 19 sleeping berths, and "on inspection the vessel displayed a multitude of faults", including that "it only had a maximum lifesaving capacity of 20 persons".

He said the costs per migrant for crossing from Belgium in a small boat were estimated at between £2,000 and £4,000, but a crossing by fishing boat could cost £15,000.

"There are huge profits involved," said Mr Badenoch.

The jury were played an audio message sent by Arturas Jusas to Kfir Ivgi on 3 September 2020, in which he said: "We're going to bring every week 50 people, yes, we need to invest now 40,000, if you want: 20 you, 20 me. From first trip we're going to get the money back."

The jury were told that Mr Jusas, 35, of Wandsworth Road, Lambeth, south London, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist unlawful immigration, while five others deny the charge.

They include the three men who were taken from the Svanic: Ukrainian nationals Igor Kosyi, 56, and Volodymyr Mykhailov, 49, and Latvian national 44-year-old Aleksandrs Gulpe.

Mr Ivgi, 39, of Corrigan Close, Finchley, north London, and Sergejs Kuliss, 32, of Albert Basin Way, Newham, east London, are said by prosecutors to be "UK-based organisers".

The trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, is ongoing.