Ukrainian men admit conspiring to smuggle migrants into country

Vladyslav Cherniavskyi, 37, and Oleksandr Yavtushenko, 43, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court where they pleaded guilty to facilitating illegal immigration.

This comes following a joint operation involving the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and French law enforcement which saw the interception of a yacht off the Isle of Wight coast on July 20.

The vessel was escorted into Gosport Marina where three Albanian males and a Vietnamese female were handed over to the immigration authorities, according to the NCA.

Julian Harriman, NCA senior investigating officer, previously said: "This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale, which has been supported by Border Force.

"Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom and we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks involved."

Both defendants remain remanded in custody and will appear at court for sentencing on December 12.