Updated with sentence: Man involved in smuggling people into the UK in the back of a van jailed

A man involved in smuggling people into the UK has today (6 September 2024) been jailed for assisting unlawful immigration.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, was previously found guilty following a trial at Lewes Crown Court of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK and has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The Crown Prosecution Service brought the charge against Al Mustafa following his arrest at the scene and an investigation by The Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigations Immigration Enforcement Unit.
 

The prosecution proved that the defendant was involved in smuggling seven Vietnamese nationals into the United Kingdom from France hidden in the back of a van.

Al Mustafa was the driver of a van which was stopped at Newhaven, Sussex, on a ferry that had travelled from Dieppe, France.  Border force and police found that this van had carried seven Vietnamese migrants concealed within a specially designed and constructed hide area in the rear of the van.
 

The migrants were discovered after they were heard screaming for help by a crewman on the ferry.  The captain of the ferry and members of the crew helped the migrants to escape from the hide by breaking down a false wall within the rear of the van which hid the seven people.

All of those found in the van received urgent medical treatment at the scene due to suffering from lack of oxygen caused by the conditions in which they had been transported.  They all required hospital treatment, with one remaining in a coma for some weeks after the incident.

Lauren Doshi, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The defendant in this case attempted to conceal his involvement in smuggling people into this country.

"A lot of effort had been put into adapting a van to hide people within the back of it in dangerous and potentially life-threatening conditions. All of this was designed to avoid the checks and border controls that we have to prevent unlawful immigration. He put the lives of those that he sought to smuggle into the UK at risk.

“The CPS is committed to working with law enforcement to identify and prosecute those involved in people smuggling.

“We will seek to pursue any money or assets gained through this criminality with our Proceeds of Crime Division.”