FOUR men have been convicted of their part in a people smuggling network that brought illegal immigrants into the country at Dover.

Kent Police uncovered details of journeys made by asylum seekers from Calais to Dover that the gang had helped to organise after a tip off.

Two of the men arrested on September 17, 2003, at the Port of Dover were Panayiotis Lambrou, 20, from Dawlish Road, Tottenham, and Neophytos Constantinou, 29, of Thetford Close, also in Tottenham.

Further investigations led to the arrests of Andre Abraham Khorassandjian, 27, of Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, and Ozgur Gun, 26, of Lordship Lane, Tottenham.

All four defendants denied the charge of facilitation of asylum claimants into the UK.

Detective Chief Inspector Roy Cottam, said: "We are committed to identifying and preventing groups like these exploiting vulnerable people and profiting from the crime of people smuggling."

Chris Mayo, the Crown Prosecution Service Reviewing Lawyer, said: "This is a very satisfying result, which reflects the close co-operation between Kent Police and the CPS and we are grateful to those witnesses who came forward to support the prosecution."

Sentencing on all four men was deferred by the judge for reports to be prepared.