People smuggling charges (From This Is Local London)

People smuggling charges

2:06pm Thursday 13th October 2005

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POLICE have charged seven men in connection with an investigation into an alleged Europe-wide people smuggling operation.

The men - all thought to be of Turkish origin - were arrested during dawn raids across the capital on Tuesday.

Ali Riza Gun, 47, of Crocus Fields, Barnet, Ramazan Zorlu, 42, of Bellegrove, Welling, Kent, Hassan Eroglu, 47, of Trafford House, Cranston Estate, N1, Yusef Turkman, 35, of Autumn Close, Enfield, Selahattin Sahin, 42, of 130 Goldhawk Road, Sheperds Bush and Oruc Gecsoyler, 39, of Victoria Rd, Edmonton face charges of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK and one count of money laundering.

Ismail Balta, 48, of Cherry Blossom Close, Enfield was charged with conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry into the UK.

Two men and two women who were also arrested during Operation Bluesky were bailed pending further inquiries.

The two-year operation focussed on large-scale smuggling of illegal immigrants into London from mainland Europe.

The illegal immigrants, predominately from Turkey, were believed to be smuggled into the UK by a variety of methods through ports in Holland, Italy, France and Belgium.

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