Two Romanian lorry drivers have been sentenced to prison for attempting to smuggle 49 people out of the United Kingdom and into France through the Port of Dover.
The Dover Smuggling Operation
Marius Bajenaru, 44, and Sorin-Costinel Ivan, 46 were intercepted by officers from the National Crime Agency on September 18, 2025, after making it all the way to the port with migrants hidden in their vehicles.
Bajenaru was found with 17 migrants concealed in the back of his Romanian-registered panel van, along with almost £4,000 in cash stored in a black plastic bag. The larger operation involved Ivan, who had 32 people, mostly of Bangladeshi nationality, hidden in the trailer of his lorry, plus three bundles of cash worth £9,950 discovered in the cab.
Confessions and Court Proceedings
During interviews with the National Crime Agency, Bajenaru admitted that he had collected the migrants from a layby on the A20 and confessed he was due to receive approximately £200 for each person he successfully smuggled out of the country.
Ivan also acknowledged visiting a layby on the same road but initially denied any knowledge of the 32 individuals hidden in his trailer. However, he later pleaded guilty to a charge of facilitating illegal immigration.
Both men appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday for sentencing. Ivan received a prison term of three years and four months, while Bajenaru was sentenced to two years and eight months behind bars.
Organised Crime Networks Targeting HGV Drivers
John Turner, senior investigating officer for the National Crime Agency, issued a stark warning about the methods employed by people smuggling gangs.
'People smuggling gangs will pitch this as a low-risk way of making extra money to drivers, but as this case shows it is anything but,' Turner stated. 'Those caught face potentially life-changing prison sentences.'
He emphasised that criminal networks show no regard for the safety of those they transport, treating vulnerable people as mere commodities. The NCA confirmed they are working with partners to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous operations.
Earlier this month, the agency revealed that organised crime groups are systematically targeting HGV drivers to smuggle illegal migrants in and out of the country. Drivers are being tempted with thousands of pounds - some knowingly loading people illegally into their vehicles, while others receive instructions on where and when to leave vehicles open for migrants to climb in.
The NCA described these smuggling operations as sophisticated, using legitimate freight loads as cover and exploiting drivers who might perceive it as a 'low-risk' method to earn quick money. Criminal gangs often use a combination of lucrative payoffs and threats to coerce drivers into cooperating.
Broader Pattern of People Smuggling
This case forms part of a wider pattern of people smuggling operations uncovered by UK authorities. In one of the most significant recent cases, seven members of a London-based smuggling network were jailed in July for organising journeys from the UK to France.
The gang, led by Algerian national Azize Benaniba, 41, utilised a network of HGV drivers to transport hundreds of migrants, including children as young as five, packed into airtight trailers. Although all individuals were found alive, many required medical attention due to the dangerous conditions they had endured.
Benaniba received a sentence of nearly 13 years in prison, while his accomplices - all North African nationals - were given prison terms ranging from seven to 13 years.
The National Crime Agency continues to highlight the serious risks associated with people smuggling, both for those being transported and the drivers who participate in these illegal operations.
