The UK Border Agency is warning lorry drivers to be more vigilant, as it is cracking down on the growing number of illegal immigrants entering the country in haulage vehicles.
The initiative comes after immigration officers recently caught six Afghan illegal immigrants attempting to enter the UK hidden in a lorry loaded with baby food. Border Agency officers checked the vehicle using a carbon dioxide probe, which showed an elevated reading indicating that there were people inside. The stowaways appeared to have cut their way in through the roof of the trailer.
Drivers could face heavy financial penalties if they do not secure their lorries properly, warned the agency. “By highlighting to drivers their own responsibilities as well as the potential penalties they face if they do not implement an effective security system we are winning the fight against clandestine entry to the UK,” said Simon Excell, UK Border Agency deputy director.
He said: “As well as carbon dioxide detectors, which helped us find these would-be illegal entrants, we also use heartbeat detectors and sniffer dogs to find stowaways trying to get into the UK illegally.
“Our juxtaposed controls continue to prevent illegal migrants from entering the UK, stopping over 28,000 illegal attempts to enter the UK last year.”