A 23-year-old Kent man has been sentenced for his part in organising the smuggling of Indian men and women, mostly from the Punjab, from France into the UK.

Jaskarn Singh Cheema, of Maye Place, Green Street Green Road, Dartford, was jailed by a judge at Canterbury Crown Court for five and a half years.

Cheema had previously admitted a charge of conspiring to smuggle illegal immigrants into the UK.

Between 30 June 30 December 1, 2003, Cheema and others organised groups of illegal immigrants to be brought into the UK, usually by third parties, charging individuals up to £4,000 to do so. On each occasion the groups comprised 10 or more people at once.

The people behind the smuggling operation used the services of intermediaries to recruit drivers to bring the illegal entrants into the country in adapted vehicles, trailers and hire vehicles, often with a ‘cover story’ of doing a beer run.

The case is closely linked to a parallel investigation by French authorities. Exactly how many were brought into this country is not known, but the evidence points to at least 70 between July and December 2003, which would have generated an income of £210,000 to £280,000 for the smugglers.

Cheema had a supervisory role in England overseeing the collection of illegal entrants gathered in France, arranging their clandestine transportation into the UK and finally ensuring that they were not free to go until they had paid up, using threats of violence to enforce this.

DC Andy Dampier said: "Kent Police worked closely with the National Crime Squad and French authorities to crack this people smuggling operation. It was sophisticated and efficiently run but by arresting the key organisers, the smuggling stopped."

The judge commended the Kent Police officers for the way they dealt with a complex investigation.

A second man involved in the smuggling operation, Seaman Daniel Junior Anderson, aged 27, of Thirlmere Road, Bexleyheath, who drove some of the vehicles carrying the illegal entrants into this country, was jailed for three years nine months last year after he admitted his part in the operation.