A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to smuggle five individuals into the UK in a truck and for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. Ibrahim Sollaku, aged 33, residing on Priory Road in Southampton, admitted to participating in a plot to aid unlawful immigration into the UK and possessing class A drugs with the intent to supply in December 2025.
Sollaku, an Albanian national, was apprehended in Bournemouth on November 5 last year by officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU). On the same day, a Belgian law enforcement operation intercepted a taxi driver and prevented five Albanian men in Bruges from boarding a truck destined for the UK. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) revealed that Sollaku had coordinated for the group to be transported by taxi to a Belgian port, where they were to be loaded onto a truck crossing the Channel and later picked up by another taxi in the UK.
During a search of Sollaku’s residence, authorities discovered over 90 street-level quantities of cocaine and handwritten notes associated with drug distribution.
At Winchester Crown Court, Sollaku received a seven-year and six-month sentence for the smuggling offense and an additional two years and six months for the drug offense, to be served consecutively.
Detective Chief Inspector Adam Smith of SWROCU commented on the case, stating, “Sollaku is evidently a well-connected criminal, involved in both organized immigration crime and the distribution of class A drugs. He displayed a blatant disregard for the risks and harm caused by these offenses, prioritizing monetary gain above all else. Individuals like Sollaku seek substantial profits through facilitating illicit journeys, often reinforcing criminal networks and further endangering communities. Enhanced information sharing is crucial in identifying suspects and potential victims to dismantle these networks.”
Anja Hohmeyer from the CPS added, “Ibrahim Sollaku played a key role in this criminal scheme to illegally transport individuals from Albania to the UK. This successful collaborative effort between the UK and Belgium has disrupted international people-smuggling operations. Sollaku had the option to pursue legitimate employment and establish a life for himself and his family, but he chose to squander it all. Those involved in immigration-related crimes not only jeopardize their own futures but also those of their loved ones.”