Grim picture inside people smuggler’s van as migrants left ‘screaming for help’

A man has been found guilty of trying to smuggle seven Vietnamese people into the UK – with pictures revealing the grim conditions the migrants were transported in.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, was arrested after travelling in a white van on a ferry from Dieppe in northern France to Newhaven, Sussex in February.

Border officers and police were alerted to his vehicle after crew on the boat heard his human cargo “screaming for help”, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

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 of their number remaining in a coma for some weeks after the incident, the CPS said.

Al Mustafa, of Swansea, was today (Thurs) found guilty of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

He will be sentenced on September 6. Pictures released after the verdict reveal the tiny space the migrants were given for the crossing – which can take up to four hours.

The space was 2m (6.56ft) wide, 194cm (76.38in) tall and 37cm (14.57in) narrow width, the BBC said.

Lauren Doshi, of the CPS, 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.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “This appalling incident could have easily ended in tragedy, and everyone who was squashed inside this criminal’s van is incredibly lucky to still be alive.”

“We are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate this sort of life-threatening activity. Our new Border Security Command will work with partners across Europe to smash the business models of the criminal smuggling gangs and halt their activities long before they reach the UK.”

Home Office Criminal Investigations regional lead south, Chris Foster, said: “Today’s conviction is a clear example of the lengths evil people smugglers will go to to make cash.

“The lives of seven people were put on the line after being crammed into a boiling and tiny concealment in the back of a van with no access to air.

“I’d like to thank my investigating teams for their work on today’s case. We will continue to tirelessly pursue people smugglers who undermine our border security in an attempt to trade lives for money.”