‘Premium Taxi’ across the Channel: Ukrainian smugglers jailed

Two Ukrainian men who ran what prosecutors described as a “premium bespoke taxi service” smuggling migrants across the English Channel have been jailed after a court heard they ferried passengers to Britain aboard a yacht.

Vladyslav Cherniavskyi, 38, was sentenced to six years in prison and Oleksandr Yavtushenko, 43, to five years at Portsmouth Crown Court. Both men had previously admitted three counts of assisting unlawful immigration.

Intercepted just miles from the coast

The pair were arrested after their yacht, Uforia, was intercepted by authorities four-and-a-half miles off Chichester in West Sussex on 20 July last year.

On board were five migrants: four Albanian men and a young Vietnamese girl travelling alone. The group was handed over to immigration officials after the vessel was stopped.

Investigators from the National Crime Agency said the operation formed part of a small but lucrative smuggling route into southern England.

A luxury route for desperate migrants

Prosecutor Robin Leach told the court the pair had carried out at least eight crossings from northern France to the English coast.

Migrants reportedly paid up to €15,000 for a place aboard the yacht, with each trip carrying between three and six passengers. The crossings often ended at Itchenor in Chichester Harbour.

The court heard Cherniavskyi had bought the yacht for just £15,000 — a fraction of what the smuggling trips generated.

Judge condemns ‘insidious black market’

Sentencing the pair, Judge William Ashworth said they had played a role in a “black market” that exploits migrants and fuels illegal crossings.

He singled out the case of the young Vietnamese passenger, who was placed into foster care on arrival in Britain, describing her transport as “a callous act”.

Both men are expected to be deported after completing their sentences.

Money, desperation and regret

Defence lawyers said Cherniavskyi had been trying to raise money for urgent medical treatment for his parents.

Yavtushenko, a qualified sailor who had previously worked across Europe, told the court he deeply regretted becoming involved.

But the judge made clear the scale of the crime outweighed the explanations — warning that such crossings profit from desperation while exposing migrants to serious danger at sea.

Ukrainians who ran 'premium' migrant smuggling service to UK jailed