Cost of translators for Albanian crooks and suspects soars to £1.2million – DOUBLE the amount paid out in 2017

TRANSLATORS for Albanian criminals and suspects cost £1.2million last year, up from £507,000 in 2017.

Those in jail in England and Wales leapt from 726 to 1,500 in the same period.

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Albanian gangs control much of the UK drugs trade and are heavily-involved in people trafficking.

In August it emerged the number crossing from France had surged — and accounted for six out of ten illegal migrants.

The East London-based Hellbanianz gang have posted videos showing wads of cash and cars.

The Ministry of Justice spent £21.3million on translators last year, a huge leap from the previous year’s £16million.

Most went on Poles, £3.2million up from £2.8million five years ago.

But the UK is home to a million Poles and 100,000 Albanians.

Romanian criminals and suspects needed translators costing taxpayers £2.7million.

Lithuanians ran up a bill of £805,000, and Russians £594,000.

Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK, said: “We are failing to identify criminals at the border.

“This puts the safety of citizens at serious risk.”