He's since been jailed
A former Nottingham pilot and two other men plotted to fly four illegal immigrants from Albania into the UK. Richard Styles, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, was arrested in March 2022 at Deenethorpe Airfield near Corby, Northamptonshire.
Shortly after his arrest the Albanian group were detained by Northants Police officers, who were working with the NCA, in a Mercedes taxi driven by Vijayakumar Sivakumar. The migrants were then handed to the immigration authorities. The pair were arrested in 2017 by the Dutch authorities in connection with another people smuggling enterprise. Styles would later be convicted in his absence, as he was already in custody in the UK by the time the case came to trial.
On Friday, April 28 a judge at the same court sentenced Styles to seven years in prison, Turchet to seven-and-a-half years, and Sivakumar to four-and-a-half years. NCA Regional Head of Investigations Jacque Beer said: "Styles was a career criminal who previously used his piloting skills to move consignments of drugs around Europe.
“While this type of crime is rare, we would appeal to the aviation and local community to help us prevent it. Whether you work in the aviation industry, are a keen pilot, or live locally, you should report any unusual or suspicious activity at a UK airfield or airport immediately.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nottingham: Arrest after man pushed out of wheelchairA 26-year-old man is held on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Read more »
Nottingham 3rd-highest for antidepressant prescriptions - figuresThe city's NHS service gave out 93,255 in November last year, averaging at 29,007 per 100,000 people
Read more »
Nottingham tram services disrupted after 'medical emergency'NET confirmed that services were not running in some areas due to the emergency
Read more »
BBC Radio Nottingham host Mark Dennison announces he is leaving stationHe has been at the station for 13 years and is also an announcer at Nottingham Forest
Read more »
McDonald's confirms closure of Nottingham city centre branchA Nottingham branch of McDonald's is set to close for good
Read more »