Driver jailed after immigrants found in vehicle
11:34, 20 March 2013
The Polish driver of a van in which seven would-be illegal immigrants were discovered heading for Dover has been jailed days after the offence was committed.
The immigrants were stopped from entering the UK after Border Force officers found them hidden in a purpose built hide inside the van at Calais port.
The group consisting of four men, a woman and two children - all from Sri Lanka - were discovered in the early hours of March 10.
The 51-year-old driver has already appeared in a French court and been jailed for four months.
Officers had selected the German-registered hire van which was carrying insulation boards for further examination after it arrived at the port to catch a ferry to Dover. Delivery documents showed its intended destination as Wembley.
A heart beat detector check showed a positive reading and officers conducted a search of the vehicle, uncovering a concealed box.
After forcing open the box, which contained lighting and fans, officers found the seven would-be migrants.