Eglantin Doksani, a 24-year-old Albanian national, has been sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison for his involvement in a prolific people-smuggling operation that saw hundreds of migrants transported across the English Channel in 2022.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) identified Doksani as a key figure in a human trafficking network linked to Iranian national Hewa Rahimpur. Rahimpur, who orchestrated a gang responsible for smuggling 10,000 people into the UK, was sentenced to 11 years in Belgium last year.
Doksani, who acted as an agent for migrants, arranged spots on small boats operated by Rahimpur’s network and other gangs. Investigators uncovered WhatsApp messages from Rahimpur’s phone, where Doksani discussed migrant transport and payments. In one exchange, Doksani pressed Rahimpur to expedite the transport of ten migrants, offering cash in hand, while in another, he spoke of a £30,000 payment for ten people.
NCA officers arrested Doksani in July 2022 at his flat in the Isle of Dogs, London. Upon their arrival, a bag containing cocaine was thrown from a window. After further investigation, more evidence linked Doksani to smuggling, money laundering, and drug trafficking activities.
Doksani was also found using a fraudulent passport to open bank accounts, through which he deposited his criminal profits. In addition to facilitating illegal immigration, he was sentenced for fraud, money laundering, and drug-related offenses. After serving his prison sentence, Doksani will be deported.
NCA Branch Commander Mark Howes stated, “While we may never know the exact number of people Doksani moved, it’s likely to be in the hundreds.”
