A Romanian people smuggler who trafficked Afghan refugees into the UK hidden inside "coffin-like" wardrobes in "barbaric" conditions has been jailed. Children as young as two were among 35 people found "literally fixed and screwed" into second-hand furniture in vans driven from France to Britain.
A court heard the refugees were found screaming for their lives at ports in Dover and Portsmouth between August and October 2019. Five men were previously sentenced at Reading Crown Court for their roles but a sixth, Adrian Constantin, 36, fled to his native Romania.
On Wednesday Constantin was jailed for three years and two months at Birmingham Crown Court after being extradited back to the UK to face justice. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration laws and failing to surrender to bail
