People smuggling charges against four men – arrested on the A2 at Gravesend during a probe by the National Crime Agency – have dramatically been dropped.

Two Albanian brothers – Arben Cakici, 48, and Astrit Cakici, 37, from Barking and Newham – were accused of facilitating illegal entry into Kent.

It followed a series of arrests by the NCA on October 16 following a swoop near a service station.

Two Romanian lorry drivers arrested at the scene – Ionut Colibei, 34, and Valerica Prutearu, 41 –were also charged with facilitating illegal entry into the UK.

But now a judge at Maidstone Crown Court has heard that all proceedings relating to people smuggling were being "discontinued".

The case against Astrit Cakici was dropped last week when no evidence was offered against him.

Arben Cakici and Colibei still face charges for each having a knife and their cases were adjourned until December 11 as their barristers are struggling to obtain instructions because of restrictions in prisons due to Covid.

The decision to abandon the people smuggling investigation follows a European Arrest Warrant taken out against the Cakici brothers by the French authorities which will be heard later this week.

Read more: All the latest news from Gravesend