Man jailed for smuggling migrants inside sofas

A 21-year-old has been jailed for trying to smuggle migrants inside sofas.

Arman Yusuf Rahmani, an Iranian national, who was granted asylum in the UK after entering in the back of a lorry, hired six “man with van” drivers.

He told them to drive to France or Belgium to transport furniture back to the UK, it was heard. The drivers did not know people were hidden inside the items. Upon arrival at the UK border in France, officers found the male migrants, who all claimed to be Iraqis under 18 years of age.

Rahmani was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison for the offences, which happened in 2018 and 2019.