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Romanian with record for people trafficking jailed for week for illegally entering UK

The defendant - who was previously sentenced to a total of three years and nine months after pleading guilty to a number of offences dating back to 2014 - will be deported from the UK by the Home Office at a later date

jailed craigavon court

A 40-year-old Romanian national has been jailed for a week after he was convicted of Knowingly Entering the UK in breach of a deportation order.

Ioan Lacatus received the jail term after pleading guilty to the offence at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

He will also be deported from the UK by the Home Office at a later date.

Lacatus was previously sentenced to a total of three years and nine months after pleading guilty to a number of offences dating back to 2014.

The offences included five counts of trafficking persons into the UK for exploitation, conspiring to traffick persons within the UK for exploitation, acting as an unlicensed gangmaster and converting criminal property in 2016.

He was also given a deportation order and was deported from the UK.

Following reports from the local community that he was back in the area, an investigation by specialist human trafficking investigators, along with Immigration enforcement and the Roads Policing unit, led to his arrest.

The PSNI said this combined effort has removed a person of concern from the Portadown community.

Detective Sergeant Hyslop said: “If anyone has any concerns about human trafficking in their area we would encourage them to contact Police on 101.”


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