A Turkish lorry driver has been arrested for people smuggling offences after 16 migrants were found in the back of his vehicle.
The National Crime Agency say the lorry driver is accused of attempting to smuggle the migrants out of the UK illegally via the Channel Ports.
The vehicle was stopped on a slip road off the M25 as part of an ongoing NCA investigation yesterday afternoon.
Police officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and Surrey Police found 16 migrants – all Pakistani, Moroccan and Algerian nationals – huddled on pallets in the lorry’s trailer.
Investigators say the pallets had been laid across the lorry’s load so it could bear the migrants when sitting on top.
The migrants were all arrested on suspicion of immigration offences and will be dealt with by Border Force officials.
The 36-year-old driver is now being questioned by NCA investigators. He is suspected of planning to move the migrants out of the UK illegally via the Channel ports in Kent.
NCA branch operations manager Chris Hill said: ‘People smuggling networks move migrants in both directions across the border, threatening the security of both the UK and our European neighbours, but also putting lives at risk.
‘Working with our partners across UK law enforcement we are determined to do all we can to disrupt those networks. Today’s operation is an example of that in action.’
Migrants have been known to seek help getting out of the UK illegally if they think there is a risk they may be deported back home.
