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Home » News Centre » Press Releases » Groundbreaking sentence increase for human trafficker

Groundbreaking sentence increase for human trafficker

29/04/2004

Today the Court of Appeal more than doubled the sentence - from 10 to 23 years - against Luan Plakici, convicted last December of organising a human trafficking ring which forced women into prostitution, following an appeal by the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC. It was the first time the Court of Appeal had to consider a case involving the trafficking of women.

On December 22 2003, after a four-month trial at Wood Green Crown Court North London, Plakici, 26, was convicted on fifteen counts of assisting unlawful immigration, living on prostitution, kidnapping, procuring a girl to have unlawful sexual intercourse and incitement to rape.

Roger Coe-Salazar, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wood Green Trials Unit, said:

"I did not feel that the overall sentence of ten years adequately reflected the enormous human misery he, and people like him, inflict on highly vulnerable young women. Accordingly, we referred the matter to the Attorney General as an 'unduly lenient sentence' in the hope that the Court of Appeal would impose a sentence that established a sentencing yard stick for this despicable crime. We will continue with our work to seize the profits gained by Plakici through the exploitation of women."

Dru Sharpling, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London said:

"The CPS worked long and hard to get a successful outcome in this case. This sentence reflects our total commitment to playing our part in the fight against human trafficking."

  1. The Attorney General has the power under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to refer a case to the court of appeal where the sentence is not just lenient but unduly so. For more information see the CPS website at: www.cps.gov.uk under factsheets.
  2. Luan Plakici is Albanian born and was living in Golders Green, North London. He was the centre of this operation and although he initially maintained he was unemployed he was found to have amassed more than 200,000 in under two and half years and owned a Ferrari and a BMW.
  3. The police investigation began when one of the victims escaped from the house in Palmers Green where she was being kept. She and her sister (17 and 20 years old) were first introduced to Plakici in Romania in October 2002. They were promised entry into the UK and work in a bar. In fact they were to be forced into prostitution. On arrival in the UK later that month they met two other girls already kept at Plakici's house and both sisters were beaten when they refused. One of the sisters was taken to another house, raped but later escaped. She presented herself to the police as an illegal immigrant.
  4. The Metropolitan Police uncovered a sophisticated network with ready access to false documents, money, accommodation and transport. Seven victims gave evidence at the trial. They were aged between 17 and 24 years old at the time. The women were brought over from Eastern Europe via the Czech Republic, Italy and France. Four victims are from Romania three from Moldavia.
  5. Media enquiries to CPS Press Office, 020 7710 6088 or Senior Press Officer at the Attorney General's Chambers, 020 7271 2465