Four migrants were discovered hidden in a van compartment during a smuggling attempt in Newhaven, raising serious safety concerns
Newhaven: So, there was this wild incident where four migrants were found stuffed into a tiny hidden compartment in a van. Can you believe it? They were trying to sneak into the UK, and it was pretty cramped in there—only about 6 feet by 3 feet!
The whole thing went down when Border Force officers stopped the van at a ferry port. The guys driving it, Shafaz Khan and Choudhry Rashied, claimed they were just hauling a bunch of used tyres back from Belgium. But, of course, the officers had their suspicions and decided to take a closer look.
When they searched the van, they found the migrants in what the Home Office called “squalid and dangerous conditions.” They were stuck behind a pile of dirty tyres, with no fresh air. Just imagine how terrifying that must have been for them!
Turns out, Khan and Rashied had rented the van specifically for this smuggling job and even built that secret compartment just for it. They were trying to cover their tracks by using burner phones to communicate, but investigators were hot on their trail.
After all the evidence came to light, both men were sentenced to over five years in prison for their role in this illegal operation. The borders minister, Dame Angela Eagle, made it clear that this kind of smuggling is a serious crime that puts lives at risk.
Chris Foster from the Home Office also chimed in, saying these smugglers were selling false hopes to vulnerable people. It’s a harsh reality, but they’re stepping up efforts to crack down on these criminal networks. This case is just one of many, and it shows how determined they are to keep our borders safe.
