Five Men Nabbed in Migrant Smuggling Sting After 13 Found Packed in Cattle Truck
Migrants Crammed into Hay Compartment on French Lorry
Border Force officers made a chilling discovery on Saturday evening (19 October) at the port of Calais. Thirteen migrants, including a child, were found hidden in a hay compartment of a lorry carrying livestock. The shocking find was part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) probe into a ruthless gang allegedly smuggling migrants into the UK.
Lorry Driver Detained in France, Four More Arrested in UK Raids
The British lorry driver was promptly detained by French authorities following the Border Force search. Meanwhile, the NCA swooped in with raids across Romford, Brentwood, Grays, Essex, and Worthing, West Sussex.
- Four men aged 23 to 39 were arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
- Investigators seized roughly £100,000 in cash at one Grays property.
- All four suspects were questioned and later released under investigation.
NCA Vows to Crush Smuggling Rings
“Those who seek to profit from facilitating illegal immigration into the United Kingdom do so for their own selfish greed and without any concern for the health and wellbeing of those who are often moved across borders in inhuman and degrading conditions,” said Gerry McLean, NCA regional head of investigation.
“We are determined to do all we can with our law enforcement partners to disrupt those networks and bring perpetrators to justice.”
The case shines a light on the dangerous and desperate tactics migrant gangs use to sneak people into the UK – and the fierce crackdown led by law enforcement to stop them in their tracks.
