Gang fronted by pensioner smuggle Afghan migrants into UK using truck

Gang fronted by pensioner smuggle Afghan migrants into UK using truckThe career criminals were caught ferrying migrants through the English Channel in a specially concealed lorry. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Paul Jeeves 14:52, Thu, Jun 4, 2026 Updated: 15:08, Thu, Jun 4, 2026 CAPTION: Dad's army gang who used truck to smuggle Afghan migrants through Channel Tunnel snared Pi (Image: National Crime Agency)A Dad’s Army gang fronted by a career criminal have been found guilty of smuggling Afghan migrants into the UK using a truck to ferry them through the Channel Tunnel. Pensioner Mark Youell, 69, came onto the radar of the National Crime Agency in July 2019 when he and accomplice Carl Bailey, 52, were seen by surveillance officers meeting up with Kent-based career criminal, Freddy Lawrence.Lawrence, 59, from Folkestone, Kent, was the subject of another separate NCA investigation, which would later lead to him being handed a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for people smuggling in January 2025. Officers followed Youell and Bailey and were able to establish that they were in contact with father and son Rohit and Surjeet Chawla, from Hayes in London, to arrange the smuggling of a group of Afghan Sikh migrants in a lorry operated by the gang. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENTThe smuggled Afghan migrants (Image: National Crime Agency) Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy PolicyNCA discover Afghan migrants being people smuggled in truck window.scriptsToLoad.push({url:'https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=121566&vp_content=embed94b65coyphir&playerApiId=v1121566',triggeredBy:...