A smuggler who tried to conceal a suspected illegal immigrant under a folded passenger seat has been jailed.

Mohammed Toofek Salih was stopped by border officers at the docks in Dover after returning from Brussels in June last year.

The 41-year-old from St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex told them he was returning from meeting a friend in Belgium.

But officers from Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) searched his Honda Jazz and found a man cowering underneath carpet behind a folded down passenger seat.

Despite denying any knowledge of the man in the car, Salih was charged with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK.

After a three day trial at Canterbury Crown Court he was found guilty on Friday, January 5.

CFI assistant director David Fairclough said: "Salih’s claims that he was not aware of another person immediately behind him in such a small vehicle were simply implausible.

“I hope this case sends a clear message to anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of criminality – you will be caught and brought before the courts.

“We work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously investigate allegations of immigration related criminality.”

The illegal entrant in the car said he was from Iraq, and his case is currently being handled by immigration officials.

Salih was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court.