'People smuggler' jailed

A Tyneside businessman has been jailed for six years for his part in an international human traffic network that ended with him being caught in a National Crime Squad sting.

Kashmir Singh Nanan arrived in England in 1989 as an illegal immigrant before marrying in 1992.

He was caught after offering an undercover policeman up to £10,000 to bring 21 Indian men into Britain just before Christmas last year.

The 40 tonne lorry carrying the men, and being driven by the officer, was stopped by German border police near Essen.

You were clearly taking advantage of the desperation of these people who part with substantial sums of money in order to find their way to this country.

Judge Tim Hewitt

Nanan was then arrested at one of his shops in Durham Road in the Birtley area of Tyneside.

He had previously denied his involvement but pleaded guilty to facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants into the UK at a hearing last month.

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Tim Hewitt told Nanan: "You have pleaded guilty to an extremely serious offence, which is a long-winded expression for what is known as people smuggling.

'Prominent role'

"You played a prominent role in organising the entry of immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, call them what you will, from the Asian sub-continent.

"You clearly had in place contacts which enabled you to carry out this trade.

"Were it not for the intervention of a police operation, I have little doubt you would have subsequently arranged for 20 to 30 to find their way into this country.

"You were clearly taking advantage of the desperation of these people who part with substantial sums of money in order to find their way to this country.

"These are huge sums of money which the court has heard of, being between £1,700 and £2,200, which they and their families can ill afford."

Defence barrister Courtenay Griffiths told Newcastle Crown Court that Nanan had not profited from the incident and that previous reports of him being involved in a multi-million pound operation were "nonsense".

'Doomed enterprise'

He told the court that prior to his arrest Nanan owed almost £100,000 to cash and carry and retail outlets and that he used the cash from the sale of his businesses to pay his debts.

He said: "This was an enterprise that was doomed, by its very nature of being a sting operation by the National Crime Squad, to failure.

"This man is now broke and the only money available to the court is the £6,600 seized at the time of his arrest.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Inspector Michael Fishwick said he was confident Nanan's network had been smashed.

He said: "It's a very, very strong sentence and should act as a deterrent but it is the least he could have expected for what he did."

Nanan was ordered to pay £3,000 costs and was fined £3,600.