Latest news with #National Crime Agency
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Daily Mail
People smuggler who trafficked adults and children into Britain claimed he shouldn't be deported because 'it would be too disruptive for his daughter'
A people smuggler who trafficked adults and children into Britain has claimed he shouldn't be deported because 'it would be too disruptive for his daughter'. Miklovan Bazegurore is wanted by authorities in Ghent where he was previously sentenced to five years in jail for his part of a human trafficking ring. The Kosovan national had put several adult's and children's lives at risk by smuggling them in the backs of lorries - including one that contained a concrete mixing mill. But his lawyers cited the convicted criminal's right to a family life under European Court of Human Rights act in their appeal against extradition. The claimed his 10-year-old daughter, who has special education needs, would suffer if her father had to spend time in a foreign jail. However, a judge at the Court of Appeal said the severity of the offences trumped the father-of-two's rights. Bazegurore played a central role in the international people smuggling ring that operated between Belgium, France and the UK. The gang 'exploited vulnerable people, including children' for financial gain and smuggled Albanian immigrants into the UK in the back of lorries from the continent. The National Crime Agency caught up with the gang after they intercepted one such lorry containing nine adults and two children in Milton Keynes in June 2016. In August 2016 another lorry was stopped in Belgium and was found to contain nine Albanian adults and four children. Bazegurore was convicted by a court in Ghent of facilitating the illegal immigration of people. The authorities there said Bazegurore was 'centrally involved in the unlawful people smuggling' and that it was an 'habitual, tight and well organised international smuggling ring'. Bazegurore was sentenced to five years in jail by a court in Ghent in March 2018. In September 2018 he was jailed for nine years at Aylesbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration in connection with the Milton Keynes incident. Since he was released from prison for the British offences in 2023 Bazegurore has been fighting extradition to Belgium where he is required to serve his first sentence. A district judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court agreed he should be sent to Belgium to face justice but his lawyers appealed this. They used the European Court of Human Rights Act to try and prevent the British authorities from granting extradition. His barrister Amanda Bostock said that him being extradited would interfere with his, his wife's and his children's right to a family life. It was important for the welfare of his 10 year old daughter, named only as X, to have her parents present to support her. Since he was released from prison in 2023, Bazegurore has worked at a scaffolding yard close to the family home. The court was told that he also takes the children to and from school and has become closer to them. His legal team cited an expert report conducted by Dr Sharon Pettle, a consultant clinical psychologist who said it 'will be extremely disruptive for the children if he is now extradited.' She stated his wife has been able to cope with bringing up their children but found it 'very challenging.' But a Court of Appeal judge has ruled that the people smuggling offences that are outstanding in Belgium were so serious Bazegurore should be extradited. Mr Justice Calver said: 'The difficulty with Ms Bostock's submission is the seriousness of the offence for which the Appellant is wanted by the Belgian authorities. 'The offending was organised and planned. It exploited vulnerable people, including children, for financial gain. 'The offending sought to facilitate the unlawful entry of multiple people into this jurisdiction, thereby undermining the proper operation of the immigration systems and the security of national borders in multiple jurisdictions across Europe. 'The District Judge was correct to identify that the offending for which the Appellant is wanted is one of the most serious offences on the scale of offending. I' can well see that if the offence for which the Appellant were wanted in this case was, for example, shoplifting, then in view of the Appellant's challenging family circumstances the analysis might be very different. 'But it is not: as the Ghent Court of Appeal emphasised the offence is very serious indeed. 'Added to this is the fact that X has her mother, family and friends to assist in her care, albeit I have no doubt it will be a very challenging time for them indeed without their father. ' Mr Justice Calver said the high threshold under Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights of a 'rare' and 'exceptional' case has not been met by Bazegurore lawyers and the appeal was dismissed.
Sky News
06-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Legal Aid Agency hit by cyber security incident
The government agency responsible for overseeing billions of pounds worth of legal funding has been hit by a cyber security incident. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said it is working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the data breach. In a letter sent to law firms last week, which has been seen by Sky News, the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) warned it had identified a "security incident". The organisation, which provides legal aid in civil and criminal cases in England and Wales, said "it is possible that financial information relating to legal aid providers may have been accessed by a third party". The LAA said it could not confirm "what, if any, information was accessed", but said it was "possible that payment information may have been accessed". There are nearly 2,000 providers, including solicitors' firms, barristers, not-for-profit organisations and telephone operators, contracted to deliver legal aid services in England and Wales, according to government data. The LAA, which is an executive agency, sponsored by the MoJ, is responsible for administering legal aid funding, which was around £2.3bn in 2023/24. Law firms are an attractive target for cyber attacks because they hold sensitive client information and handle large sums of money. "This incident is being investigated in accordance with our data security processes, and action has been taken to mitigate the incident," the letter said. "I would like to offer our sincere apologies for any concern this may cause you. "The LAA takes the security of the information we hold seriously, and we understand the potential impact any breach can have on you." The public body's head office is in London but it has others in towns and cities across England and Wales and employs around 1,250 staff. An MoJ spokesperson said: "We take any data breach extremely seriously and have already taken action to bolster the security of the legal aid system. "We're working with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre to investigate the situation, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage." A National Crime Agency spokesperson said: "We are aware of a cyber incident affecting the Legal Aid Agency. "NCA officers are working alongside partners in the National Cyber Security Centre and MoJ to better understand the incident and support the department."
