As part of an NCA investigation, Richard Styles, from St Albans, was arrested at Deenethorpe Airfield near Corby, Northamptonshire, in March 2022.

He had just flown his twin-engine plane to the airfield from Belgium, carrying with him three men and a woman who were all attempting to evade immigration checks.

NCA investigators found that Styles had worked with former pilot and fellow aviation buff Silvano Turchet, aged 68, to rent the six-seater Piper Seneca for £1,500 from an airfield in Lincolnshire.

Investigators believe the men were in contact with an Albanian known as ‘Tim K’ who arranged for Styles’ illegal passengers to meet him in Belgium. When the plane returned to the UK the next day, an NCA surveillance team was waiting.

Shortly after Styles’ arrest, the Albanian group were detained in a Mercedes taxi driven by Vijayakumar Sivakumar. The migrants were handed to the immigration authorities.

All three men were charged with facilitating a breach of immigration law.

A judge sentenced Styles to seven years in prison, Turchet to seven-and-a-half years, and Sivakumar to four-and-a-half years.

People smugglers use various methods to try and breach UK border controls, and we are determined to do all we can to stop them. Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA.