ONE of the ringleaders of Britain’s biggest people smuggling gangs has been jailed by a crown court judge for eight and a half years.

Turkish-born Ramazan Zorlu, 43, of Bellegrove Road, Welling, faces deportation on his release.

He was one of three main men responsible for the largest human smuggling ring prosecuted in the UK, alongside Riza Gun and Hassan Eroglu, both from north London.

The illegal immigrants, predominately from Turkey, were smuggled into various entry points in the UK by a variety of methods including cars, trains, ferries and light aircraft through ports in Holland, Italy, France and Belgium.

Zorlu, who possessed two forged Greek travel documents, arrived in the UK in 1974 and was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate the illegal entry of illegal immigrants into the country, in August, and was sentenced on Wednesday at Croydon Crown Court. The court was told the gang "treated the migrants as commodities."

Eroglu was sentenced to six years imprisonment, in July. Gun will be sentenced at later date.

FULL STORY IN THE FRIDAY OCTOBER 13 EDITION OF THE BEXLEY EXTRA