A Lincoln resident has been handed a nine-year prison sentence for his part in a plot to smuggle five Albanians into the UK. Tomas Venclauskas, 41, who lives on Arboretum View in Lincoln, was found guilty alongside Karolis Laurinavicius, 40, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court. The jury took no longer than four hours to reach their verdicts. The court was told that the pair collected the five individuals from Belgium using a powerboat, their target destination being Shotley Marina in Suffolk. However, they were intercepted by Border Force officers before they could reach their goal. All five passengers had previously been convicted of serious crimes, including drug-related offences and instances of violences. During the sentencing, Judge Martyn Levett criticised Border Force’s handling of the situation. Venclauskas, who has been a resident of England for approximately 20 years, maintained that he was unaware of who his passengers were, claiming that he was simply celebrating the acquisition of a new boat. Nevertheless, the jury found both men guilty, stressing the severity of the offence and the potential risks it posed.
This article was based on original reporting from www.bbc.com, and has been adapted by The Lincoln Post.
