A London-based people smuggling ring that used motorway service stations to move migrants hidden in the back of lorries has been dismantled after three of its members were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.
Toni Liko, 42, of Wembley, and Klement Gjika, 44, of Islington, each received sentences of five years and eight months. A third member, Stelian Bodnariu, 37, of Edgware, was jailed for three years and four months. All three were convicted of conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national, following a seven-week trial that concluded in February.
The network, which operated for approximately 18 months, charged individuals up to £11,000 per person to be brought into the United Kingdom. Metropolitan Police detectives established that at least 20 Albanian nationals were transported into London through the operation, though investigators believe the true figure is likely to be considerably higher.
The gang’s method relied on migrants being concealed within heavy goods vehicles before being transferred to waiting cars at service stations along the M25 and surrounding road network. CCTV footage obtained during the investigation captured those transfers taking place, while analysis of the defendants’ phones after their arrest revealed direct communication between the smugglers and HGV drivers coordinating handover locations and timings.
The investigation was initiated after the Met received intelligence indicating that motorway service stations were being used as transfer points for smuggled individuals. Officers tracked vehicles, reviewed extensive CCTV records and conducted surveillance operations to identify those running the network. The three men were arrested in June 2025 and charged the following day.
Acting Detective Inspector Stuart Jack, who led the investigation, said the case was driven entirely by financial gain. “This case was all to do with money — an illegal money-making conspiracy, driven entirely by profit,” he said, adding that people smuggled into the country were frequently subjected to further exploitation upon arrival or compelled to work for the criminal networks responsible for bringing them over.
He also called on HGV drivers in particular to remain alert to suspicious activity, warning that the crime was not victimless despite perceptions to the contrary.
Anyone with information about people-smuggling or organised immigration crime can contact police on 101 or report anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
