Illegal immigrants discovered hidden in lorry heading to Dewsbury

Illegal immigrants discovered by Border Force officials in a van in Calais heading for Dewsbury

Border Force officers found the five men, all from Afghanistan, on Wednesday May 29 when the officers conducted a carbon dioxide probe check of the vehicle.

When the lorry was searched, officers found the men hiding amongst a pile of tyres.

The vehicle was en-route to a tyre firm in Dewsbury. Once the men had been removed and passed to the French authorities, it was allowed to continue its journey.

Paul Morgan, Border Force Director for South East & Europe, said: “This incident shows why we base Border Force staff in France - to stop would-be illegal immigrants before they can reach the UK.

“Our strong presence in French ports like Calais and close collaboration with the French authorities helps protect the whole of the UK from people attempting to enter the country illegally.

“As well as using carbon dioxide probes, officers also use heartbeat detectors, sniffer dogs and physical searches to find people hiding in vehicles”.