Two 16-year-old Vietnamese girls were discovered by Border Force officers concealed within a lorry at the Port of Dover in Kent. The discovery was made when the vehicle passed through a scanner upon arrival.
Border Force officer Robin, featured in the Channel 4 documentary 'Dover 24/7: Britain's Busiest Port,' described how the girls were hidden. A foam mattress in the lorry's cab had been cut to accommodate the two individuals, who were positioned at opposite ends, or "top to tail." A compartment was then manipulated to conceal them, an attempt to evade detection by inspectors during routine checks.
"I've seen concealments cut out like this quite a few times recently and it's normally Vietnamese young ladies like this," Robin stated. The driver of the lorry was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to offenses related to the incident. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The two girls were taken into the care of social services following their rescue. Officers noted that the method of concealment suggested an attempt to bypass visual inspection, relying on the scanner technology for discovery.
This incident highlights a broader trend of human trafficking and migrant smuggling. According to the National Crime Agency, organized gangs are actively recruiting lorry drivers to transport individuals into and out of the United Kingdom. Officials have reported an increase in arrests of drivers in Kent who are found to be illegally transporting people via trains or ferries to France.
In the past year, a record 7,028 children were identified as potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK. These individuals are often exploited for sex trafficking and labor. Border Force officers expressed concern about the welfare of the rescued teenagers, with one officer noting the distress caused by the vulnerability of the 16-year-olds and the uncertainty of their circumstances in Vietnam.
This event follows other recent cases of human smuggling. Last Friday, two individuals, Duc Quang Ta, 36, and Sarfaraz Sardarzehi, 58, were sentenced for their roles in arranging the transport of Vietnamese migrants hidden in lorries. They were arrested in 2020, with three migrants found in Sardarzehi's car. Their crime group utilized lorries arriving via ferries or the Channel Tunnel, with migrants being moved inland by car once in Britain. Ta was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Sardarzehi received a two-year suspended sentence.
The documentary series 'Dover 24/7' has previously featured other incidents, including the discovery of £100,000 worth of stolen car parts being smuggled out of Britain and a migrant attempting to leave the UK hidden in a lorry. The program continues to air on Channel 4.