Man who tried to smuggle migrants into UK stuffed inside sofas is jailed
A man who tried to smuggle people into the UK by hiding them in sofas has been jailed for more than two years.
Arman Yusuf Rahmani attempted to carry out the plan by hiring van drivers to pick up second-hand furniture from France or Belgium and take it back to the UK.
The 21-year-old from Iran was sentenced to two years and seven months in jail at Preston Crown Court on Monday.
He had pleaded guilty to breaking UK immigration law.
The Home Office said Rahmani, who had been granted asylum in the UK, will be eligible for deportation when he leaves prison.
The 21-year-old hired six different “man with van” drivers between December 2018 and April 2019 to pick up second-hand furniture from France or Belgium.
But people were hidden in the sofas that the drivers - unaware of the plan - were meant to take back to the UK.
The drivers were told not to help with loading the vehicles and were distracted when this took place.
The Home office said UK Border Force officers searched the vans on their arrival at the border and “quickly identified the migrants hiding inside”.
All of these claimed to be from Iraq and under the age of 18.
The Home Office said videos and images of the hidding sports showed “any plea for help” would not have been heard.
After the sentencing, Chris Philip, the minister for immigration compliance & justice, said: “Rahmani showed a blatant disregard for the laws of the UK, a country which provided him with safety and a place to live for which he has rightly paid the price.”
He added: “This case shows the lengths criminals will go to profit from our broken asylum system by putting people’s lives at risk.”
