An Albanian man who has repeatedly entered the UK illegally is set to be removed from the country for a fifth time. Romeo Zani, 32, was sentenced to two years imprisonment after his latest attempt to flout an indefinite deportation order by hiding in the back of a sealed trailer.
A Persistent Pattern of Illegal Entry
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Romeo Zani's history with UK authorities spans nearly a decade. His first encounter with Border Force was in August 2017, when he confessed to having entered the UK in the 'back of a lorry' and working illegally. He signed a voluntary departure order and was removed in December 2017.
Undeterred, Zani re-entered and was arrested in January 2018. By December 2018, he was convicted at Bristol Crown Court for possessing fraudulent identity documents, conspiracy to possess a class B drug, and money laundering, receiving a 20-month sentence. This led to an indefinite deportation order being issued on 11 January 2019, with his second removal following on 7 March 2019.
Multiple Breaches and Asylum Claim
Zani's attempts to return continued. He was back in the UK by January 2021 and spent over a year in hiding as an absconder. Following arrests in Bedford and West Yorkshire, he launched an asylum claim in January 2024, stating his life was in danger in Albania. This claim was refused, leading to his third removal on 3 May 2024.
His efforts grew more audacious. In April 2025, he was discovered on a yacht in Falmouth, Cornwall, convicted of a second breach, sentenced to 12 months, and removed for a fourth time on 14 August 2025.
The Latest Offence and Sentencing
The final breach occurred on 12 December 2025, when Zani was found concealed in a trailer heading to the Nissan factory in Sunderland. Prosecutor Michael Bunch said Zani had travelled from Albania to Belgium, where he paid £5,000 to be smuggled into the UK.
Mr Recorder Nicholas Worsley sentenced him to two years in prison for this 'blatant attempt to flout deportation'. The judge stated: '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.'
Defence barrister Mark Harrison said Zani maintained Albania was not safe for him, but acknowledged his client understood he could not return to the UK. Zani has now been sentenced for his third breach of the deportation order and will be removed from the country for a fifth time.
