A man from Romania who was sentenced to prison for his involvement in the deaths of 39 people in a lorry trailer will be deported. Marius Draghici, 51, was considered a “right-hand man” in a people smuggling operation and fled the UK after the Vietnamese nationals died. The lorry was carrying the sealed container with the migrants in it as it crossed from Belgium to Purfleet, Essex, on a ferry in October 2019. Draghici returned to the UK after being arrested in Romania in August 2022 and was extradited to the country.
Draghici pleaded guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to aid unlawful immigration and was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Old Bailey. He will be deported “shortly,” according to a confiscation hearing held in the same court. Prosecutors informed the court that under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Draghici will not be pursued, as no assets have been discovered following an investigation.
Eleven individuals in the United Kingdom have been convicted in conjunction with this case, with Vietnamese men, women, and children paying up to £13,000 for a “VIP” route to Europe. The majority of the victims were hoping to locate better-paying employment in the United Kingdom.
According to Mr. Justice Garnham, who sentenced Draghici last year, he was an “essential cog” in a criminal conspiracy that made “astonishing profits out of the exploitation of people desperate to get to the UK.” However, other defendants have been ordered to pay over £283,000 in ill-gotten gains as compensation to the victims’ families. The defendant will serve the rest of his sentence in Romania, according to reports
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More