Pledge to people smugglers as seven found in back of lorry’s refrigerated trailer on the M1

HOME OFFICE SAYS TRAFFICKERS ‘TO FACE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW’

We will increase sentences in the UK for the facilitation of illegal entry to act

Home Office spokesman

THE Home Office says the “callous” people responsible for smuggling seven migrants discovered in the refrigerated trailer near Leicester will face “the full force of the law”.

The HGV was stopped shortly at Junction 24 of the M1 before 9.30pm on Thursday, after several reports were made from members of the public of banging coming from the trailer.

All of the occupants of the trailer, which contained crates of S Pellegrino sparkling water, were described as being “fit and well” but were arrested and taken into custody to be processed by immigration officials.

A spokesperson said that they are working with police to ensure those behind the incident face severe penalties.

They said: “We are determined to go after the callous people smugglers who exploit vulnerable people and put them in life-threatening situations – refrigerated lorries are extremely dangerous and show the disregard for life these criminals possess.

“We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who put lives at risk for money face the full force of the law. As part of the New Plan for Immigration we will increase sentences in the UK for the facilitation of illegal entry to act as a further deterrent to these criminals.”

Leicestershire Police posted about the incident on Twitter early yesterday, with two accompanying photographs, on the official Leicestershire Roads Policing Unit (RPU) Twitter account @LeicsPoliceRPU.

The post read: “Members of public report hearing banging coming from refrigerated trailer in slow moving traffic on the M1. HGV stopped, seven people found in the trailer! Fortunately they’re all fit & well. All seven arrested & taken to custody for immigration teams to come and process. #RPU 332.”

The incident seemed to have been a close call in terms of the safety of those being smuggled in.

It is a reminder, however, of the 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex in October 2019.

Four men were jailed in January this year over the tragic event, with a judge describing the migrants’ deaths as “excruciatingly painful”, having suffocated in the container en route from Belgium to Purfleet. The victims had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof but only managed to dent the interior.

The court heard some of their final desperate phone messages, including one where a man spoke with ragged breaths as he apologised to his family.

“I can’t breathe,” he said. “I want to come back to my family. Have a good life.”