Van Driver Found Guilty of Smuggling Migrants in Dangerous Hidden Compartment
A van driver has been found guilty of smuggling seven migrants in a dangerously concealed compartment, where they were discovered gasping for air and screaming for help.
Anas Al Mustafa, 43, was convicted of assisting unlawful migration after trafficking the migrants in a specially-adapted van. The incident occurred on February 16, when Al Mustafa used a ferry route from Dieppe, France, to Newhaven, East Sussex, to bring the individuals into the UK.
The harrowing discovery at the East Sussex port triggered a major emergency response, with ambulances, police, and Border Force officers rushing to the scene. Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard that the six men and one woman, cramped inside the narrow compartment, were suffering from severe dehydration and a lack of oxygen.
Prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC detailed the migrants' ordeal, explaining that the confined space was “the width of a human chest.” The compartment, measuring two meters in height and just 37cm in width, forced the occupants to stand with no room to move. Deprived of water and oxygen, the migrants were in a life-threatening situation, leading them to cry out for help during the journey.
Crew members aboard the Seven Sisters ferry heard the migrants’ desperate pleas and used an axe to break through the van's fake partition, freeing the trapped individuals. By the time they were rescued, two of the migrants had already lost consciousness. The group was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment, with one man reportedly suffering a possible heart attack, a woman experiencing acute kidney injury, and another man in a comatose state having suffered a stroke.
During the trial, Al Mustafa, originally from Syria but living in Swansea, denied any knowledge of the migrants being in the van. He claimed he was "shocked" and "completely numb" upon their discovery. He described the incident as the "most difficult day of his life."
However, the prosecution highlighted inconsistencies in Al Mustafa's statements. In a police interview, Al Mustafa admitted he was being paid £5,000 to drive the van to the UK, which led him to suspect that "maybe this time there is people inside." He later attempted to retract this statement in court, claiming he meant £500 and that he had no knowledge of the hidden passengers.
Following the guilty verdict, Judge Christine Laing KC indicated that Al Mustafa could face a substantial custodial sentence, noting the devastating consequences of such criminal activities for those attempting to enter the UK.
Lauren Doshi, of the Crown Prosecution Service, commented after the verdict: "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. He put the lives of those that he sought to smuggle into the UK at risk."
Al Mustafa, a self-employed construction worker, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6. The prosecution also plans to pursue any financial gains Al Mustafa may have received from his criminal activities through the Proceeds of Crime Division.