Migrant smuggling sentencing today

An Israeli man convicted of New Zealand's first migrant-smuggling charge is facing up to 20 years in jail and a $500,000 fine.

Jerusalem-based businessman Victor Chechelnitski will appear in the High Court at Auckland this morning for sentencing after his conviction in the Manukau District Court in February on three people-smuggling charges.

It is the first time the charge has been used by police under the Crimes Amendment Act, says Counties-Manukau police spokeswoman Angeline Barlow.

"It's quite a big case really in terms of showing the seriousness of this and [that New Zealand is] not a soft touch."

In 2003, Ukraine nationals Serhiy Manyk, Iryna Manyk and Anatoliy Hushul each paid an associate of Chechelnitski US$7800 ($11,904) for Israeli passports, a guide to take them to New Zealand and help getting jobs and accommodation here.

They were told they could not get New Zealand entry visas using their legal Ukrainian passports, according to a police summary of facts from the trial.

Israelis do not need entry visas to come to New Zealand.

The trio gave their details and photos to the associate and were later given the new passports.

In Kiev, Ukraine, this January, the associate introduced the trio to Chechelnitski, telling them he was their guide and would meet them in Bangkok a few days later.

The trio flew to Bangkok on January 23 and were met the next day by Chechelnitski, who asked for their Ukrainian passports, US$700 cash his associate had given them and a further $150 each.

He bought them all flights to Auckland for February 3, but none of them could board the plane because they lacked transit visas through Australia.

Chechelnitski then got $127 more from them and changed the tickets to fly via Hong Kong, for which they did not need transit visas.

While in Thailand he taught the men Jewish phrases and customs and advised them what to say if New Zealand authorities questioned them.

Chechelnitski and the Ukrainians flew from Bangkok on February 3.

But when they arrived in Auckland, immigration officials found the Ukrainians' passports were false, having been made from a series of blank passports stolen in Israel last May.

Chechelnitski, a 34-year-old father of two, declined to make a statement to police or to explain his actions.

The three Ukrainians are still in New Zealand awaiting trial on charges of producing false passports.

- NZPA