Alison and Fabiola Alman both admitted assisting unlawful immigration
Officers described the smell of urine and excrement in the van as 'unbearable'
Alison Alman was smuggling the men to pay off debt to a drug dealer
They were jailed for 11 years between them at Portsmouth Crown Court
The sisters had tried to fit seven men into a rented camper van, with five in the rear of the van and two in the compartment above the cab
By Amanda Cashmore For Mailonline
PUBLISHED: Daily, 8 January 2018
Sisters who attempted to smuggle seven Albanian men into the country in a camper van that smelled 'unbearable' because of the toilet have been jailed for 11 years.
Alison and Fabiola Alman were stopped by Border Force officers in Portsmouth when a scan of their vehicle revealed five men in the rear sleeping area.
When searching the vehicle, officers also discovered two more men in a compartment above the cab.
Alison Alman (pictured), 43, was jailed for six years after attempting to smuggle 11 men into the country in a camper van
Fabiola Alman (pictured), 47, agreed to drive the camper van and was offered £800 for her services
Alison Alman (pictured left), 43, was jailed for six years after attempting to smuggle 11 men into the country in a camper van, while her sister Fabiola (pictured right) was jailed for five
Portsmouth Crown Court heard Alison had got into £4,000 worth of debt with a drug dealer, who said she could pay it off by smuggling what he claimed was his family, including a minor, into the country.
But the 43-year-old was unable to drive the camper van herself, due to a ban after being convicted for drink-driving.
Prosecutor Keely Harvey told the court Alison's sister Fabiola, 47, agreed to drive the camper van.
When stopped by officials, Ms Harvey said both women claimed they had been on holiday and did not know the men were in the van.
She said this was despite a strong smell of urine and excrement described by officers as 'unbearable', which the vehicle hire company had to fork out £3,000 to pay for cleaning.
The court heard Alison blamed the smell on some cheese in the fridge, while Fabiola - who was offered £800 to drive the camper van - said her sister was a 'big eater'.
Ms Harvey said: '[Alison] put the smell down to some cheese kept in the fridge, which had been switched off for 24 hours.
'Fabiola stated that the toilet was full, and put this down to her sister being a big eater; She said she herself suffered from constipation and did not use the toilet.'
Both women were arrested by officials when they arrived on a Brittany Ferries sailing from Bilbao, Spain, to Portsmouth on October 4, last year.
Alison, of Wood Green in London, and Fabiola, from the Sandpits Area of Gibraltar, both admitted assisting unlawful immigration.
Both women were arrested by officials when they arrived on a Brittany Ferries sailing from Bilbao, Spain, to Portsmouth on October 4, last year +2
Both women were arrested by officials when they arrived on a Brittany Ferries sailing from Bilbao, Spain, to Portsmouth on October 4, last year
Sentencing Alison to six years in jail and Fabiola to five years, Judge David Melville QC said: 'The men were unwanted immigrants, with no right to be in the UK.
'This was a planned operation, in which some care had been taken, and Alison Alman was in desperate need of money.'
The six men have since been returned to Bilbao, while the minor was passed into the care of social services, the court heard.
Speaking after the hearing, chief immigration officer Jo Howorth said: 'These two women claimed the purpose of their trip was to go on holiday, when in reality their intention was to smuggle people into the UK.
'Their attempt was stopped by Border Force officers who identified the people they had hidden in the motor home in squalid and dangerous conditions.
'People smugglers like Fabiola and Alison Alman exploit the vulnerable and put lives at risk while lining their own pockets in the process.
'I hope this case serves as a clear warning that those who try to break the UK's immigration laws will be brought to justice.'
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