They had combined sentences of more than 72 years
A paedophile, kidnapper and a number of drug dealers were among 23 "foreign criminals" deported from the UK on Thursday on a flight back to Albania.
The group of those deported also included members of organised crime gangs and one individual with no right to be in the UK.
In total, the 23 criminals were serving more than 72 years in prison sentences.
According to the
Evening Standard, one of the individuals on board the flight had been sentenced to 18 years for supplying cocaine worth more than £2 million, with another, who was part of an organised crime group, serving more than 10 years behind bars for also supplying cocaine.
One individual was sentenced to three years in prison for trying to engage in sexual communication with a child, whilst another was sentenced to four years imprisonment for kidnapping and causing actual bodily harm.
https://twitter.com/ukhomeoffice/status/1540009288780828672
Speaking about the deportations, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "These individuals are responsible for some of the most appalling crimes, including rape, violent crime and serious drugs offences. They have violated both our laws and our values and left their victims living with the scars of the crimes that they committed.
“This Government will use every means available to remove foreign nationals who have committed crimes against our citizens and we have recently brought forward the Borders Act to help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals.”
Last month, 190 foreign national offenders were removed from the UK on charter and scheduled flights.
The Home Office says that since March 2021 more than 10,000 people have been removed from the UK, with 85 flights chartered to 13 different countries.
Thursday's flight took place with the cooperation of the Albanian government.
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