21 July 2017
Two British men have been jailed in France for attempting to smuggle Albanian migrants into the UK by light aircraft.
David Green, 53, an architect and a private pilot from Essex, and Edward Buckley, 45, a carpenter, were both jailed for 30 months following a court case in Boulogne, France. When released from jail, they will be banned from France for five years. The aircraft, a Cessna 172, and a car used in the operation were confiscated.
The court heard how the two men were part of a smuggling network that had flown migrants from airfields near Calais and Le Touquet on five occasions since April. Each passenger paid £10,000 for the flight.
The men were arrested as the aircraft was preparing to take off from Calais-Dunkerque Airport near Marck with four Albanian migrants on board, following a tip-off from British police.
