Romanian IT student living in Spain caught at Belfast airport with fake Italian passports while helping Afghan nationals
A man has been sentenced after admitting attempting to assist unlawful immigration at Belfast International Airport.
Rafael Gabriel Stanciu, 21, is originally from Romania but with an address listed as “not known, Madrid”.
He appeared at Ballymena Magistrates' Court via video link from prison last Thursday.
He had also faced four charges of possessing false identify documents, namely Italian passports.
Prosecutors agreed to covert those to one charge of possessing four false documents.
The charges related to July 28 this year.
A prosecutor said immigration officers at the airport terminal noted the defendant was along with a family of three adults and a minor who were claiming to be Afghan nationals.
The court heard they were illegal entrants to the UK as they did not have the necessary visas required by Afghan nationals.
"The family was dealt with administratively," a prosecutor said, "and served with immigration paperwork and informed they are liable to be removed".
The defendant admitted he travelled from Malaga in Spain to meet the family in Dublin, and travelled with them from Dublin to Belfast International Airport in a taxi.
The defendant was arrested and when searched he had four Italian passports "secreted within two books" in his suitcase.
The defendant said he was asked by a "friend" to assist the illegal immigration for payment.
Stanciu had been in custody on remand since July 28.
A defence barrister said the defendant is originally from Romania and had been living in Spain for 10 years alongside his mother.
He is doing an IT degree.
He was "extremely remorseful" and had "no criminal record".
The barrister said the defendant had "been taken advantage of," and Stanciu had described his own actions as "stupid".
The lawyer said the defendant "will be subject of deportation proceedings" and although he wishes to go back to Spain it was unclear if he will have to go to Romania.
The barrister added: "He is young, foolish. He had been enticed quite easily and has learned a very salutary lesson.”
District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons said they were "very serious matters".
She added: "Unfortunately they are coming before the court more frequently over the last 12 months".
The defendant was given a four months prison sentence.