London: Two London-based men have been sentenced to over 10 years behind bars after being convicted of breaching UK immigration law by trying to smuggle four Indian migrants in a hidden van compartment disguised by a stack of dirty tyres.

According to the UK Home Office, British nationals Shafaz Khan and Choudhry Rashied, who operated under the alias ‘Manzar Mian Attique’, hid the group of migrants behind the tyres in a “purpose built” hidden space in the vehicle. The pair were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in London on Tuesday and each faces five years and three months in prison for facilitating a breach of UK immigration law.

“This case displays the lengths people smugglers will go to to disguise their criminal activity. These smugglers exploited a group of individuals by putting them into an unsafe and unlawful situation for their own financial gain,” said Dame Angela Eagle, UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum.

“Our skilled investigators are working tirelessly to protect our borders as part of our Plan for Change and that starts with dismantling the people smuggling networks who put lives at risk and undermine our border security. Alongside the major step up in enforcement action and integral cooperation with key partners we are also investing GBP 150 million of funding into our new Border Security Command to disrupt the criminal smuggling gangs profiting from risking lives,” she said.

The sentencing followed a Home Office investigation that revealed the men hired the van solely for the purpose of people smuggling. They were also found responsible for building the “hide”, which was used to conceal the group of migrants.

“Phone analysis revealed the gang had assigned ‘burner’ phones to each other to help conceal their crimes, whilst CCTV traced the pair to a local cafe where they met to plan the illegal facilitation,” the Home Office said.

The pair’s “dangerous operation” was shut down when they were stopped by UK Border Force officers at Newhaven Ferry Port on the south coast of England. Khan is said to have told the officers that they were travelling back from Belgium and the rear of their van contained used tyres.

But when officers searched the back of the van, they got more than they bargained for, with a group of migrants discovered in squalid and dangerous conditions hidden behind the heavy tyres with no access to clean air, the Home Office stated.

Chris Foster, UK’s Immigration Enforcement Regional Lead, added: “Both Khan and Rashied sold these vulnerable individuals a dream and promised them a safe journey and prosperous life in the UK, which was far from the truth. The people smuggling gangs are playing with people’s lives and undermining our border security, we will not just watch on.

“We are stepping up our enforcement efforts to break the business model of the criminal networks that operate in the UK and Europe. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to the criminals, if you get involved in people smuggling, you’re likely to spend a lengthy time behind bars.”

He went on to pay tribute to the hard work and tireless efforts of his team to take down the criminal gangs who “profit from this evil trade”.