Sussex: Fifteen children among 21 people found in refrigerated truck
In a shocking discovery, British authorities have found 21 people, including fifteen children, some as young as 12, inside a refrigerated lorry entering the UK. The discovery was made by the Border Force at the port of Newhaven in Sussex, and the group was concealed among a load of sparkling water. The group is believed to have come from Vietnam. Here are the details.
The discovery was made when the Border Force stopped the lorry's arrival from Dieppe in France. After they were discovered, the group said that they were from Vietnam. The fifteen children, who did not require medical assistance, were transferred to the care of social services. Two of the adults were deported from the UK, and the rest are in immigration detention centres. Their cases are being assessed.
Not much else is known about the incident as preliminary reports are still coming in. The BBC has reported that a criminal investigation into the incident is already underway, and a Romanian man, Andrut Mihai Duma, believed to be the driver of the lorry carrying human cargo, has been charged with assisting unlawful entry to the UK. He is in custody, awaiting a court hearing.
