Illegal immigrant caught hiding in sealed trailer heading to Sunderland's Nissan factory

Albanian national Romeo Zani is the subject of an indefinite deportation order but repeatedly re-enters the country after being sent back to his homeland.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he first came to the attention of the British authorities in 2017, when he confessed he had entered the UK in the "back of a lorry" and been working illegally.

Since then he has served prison sentences, been repeatedly removed, was once caught on a yacht in Falmouth, popped up in various towns and cities and spent over a year in hiding.

Zani, 32, will now be removed for a fifth time after admitting another breach of his deportation order.

Mr Recorder Nicholas Worsley sentenced him to two years behind bars for the "blatant attempt to flout deportation".

The recorder told him: "This will be the fifth occasion upon which you have ended up being removed from the UK.

"This offending undermines the fabric of society and enables criminality."

Prosecutor Michael Bunch said when Zani was caught in the sealed trailer heading to the Sunderland factory he confessed he had travelled from Albania to Belguim where he paid someone £5,000 to get him into the UK.

Mr Bunch said Zani claimed he made the illegal journey because his "life was in danger" in Albania.

Mark Harrison, defending, said: "He will be returned back to Albania even though he maintains it is not a safe place for him to reside.

"He didn't set foot properly on UK soil, he was arrested hiding in a lorry."He chose the UK because he has friends and extended family here. He understands he cannot return."

The court heard Zani was first questioned by the authorities in August 2017, when he confessed he had entered the UK in the "back of a lorry".

He admitted he had been working illegally, had no fears about returning to Albania and signed a voluntary departure order which meant he was removed from the UK in December 2017.

Zani entered the UK again and was arrested in January 2018 then convicted in December 2018 at Bristol Crown Court for offences including possessing fraudulent identity documents, conspiracy to possess a class B drug and money laundering.

He was sentenced to 20 months behind bars.

On January 11 2019 he was made the subject of an indefinite deportation order and removed from the UK for the second time on March 7 2019.

By January 2021 Zani was back in the UK and identified as having returned in breach of a deportation order but was then "in hiding" and categorised as an absconder for more than a year.

In August 27 2023 he was arrested by Bedford police then in January 2024 he was arrested by West Yorkshire police, detained and launched a claim for asylum.

The asylum claim was refused on April 24 2024 and on May 3 2024 he was removed from the UK for the third time.

This was also the first breach of the deportation order.

On April 13 2025 Zani was found on a yacht in Falmouth and two days later was convicted of a second breach of the deportation order at Cornwall Magistrates Court.

On June 18 2025 he was sentenced to 12 months for the breach and on August 14 was removed from the UK for a fourth time.

On December 12 last year he was back in the UK again and was found hidden in a trailer bound for the Nissan factory in Sunderland, has been sentenced to two years and will be removed for a fifth time for his third breach of the deportation order.