2 London residents try to smuggle Indians into UK in van compartment, arrested

Two Londoners, Shafaz Khan from Feltham and Choudhry Rashied from Southall, were sentenced to five years and three months in prison each on Tuesday for attempting to smuggle four Indian migrants into the UK. The migrants were found crammed in a hidden compartment behind a stack of dirty tyres in their van, stopped by Border Force officers at Newhaven Ferry Port in March 2019.

The migrants were discovered in dangerous and filthy conditions, with no access to clean air, according to The Standard.

Khan and Rashied initially claimed they were returning from a trip to Belgium, but a thorough search of the van exposed the hidden compartment.

An investigation by the Home Office revealed the duo had hired the van specifically for the smuggling operation. Phone analysis showed the use of "burner" phones to avoid detection, and CCTV footage traced them to a local cafe where they planned the trafficking.

"This case displays the lengths people smugglers will go to disguise their criminal activity," said Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, reported The Standard. "These smugglers exploited a group of individuals by putting them into an unsafe and unlawful situation for their own financial gain."

The minister also emphasised the government’s commitment to disrupting people-smuggling networks.

"Our skilled investigators are working tirelessly to protect our borders as part of our Plan for Change... Alongside the major step up in enforcement action, we are investing £150 million into our new Border Security Command to disrupt the criminal smuggling gangs profiting from risking lives," she said.

Immigration Enforcement Regional Lead Chris Foster said, "Both Khan and Rashied sold these vulnerable individuals a dream and promised them a safe journey and prosperous life in the UK, which was far from the truth. The people-smuggling gangs are playing with people’s lives and undermining our border security."

This case comes as the UK government introduces new measures to combat people smuggling under the upcoming Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

These measures include court orders restricting the use of phones, social media, and bank accounts by suspects.

The government is also tackling the surge in Channel crossings, with nearly 37,000 people arriving via small boats in 2024, a 25 per cent increase from the previous year.

Between January and March 2023, Indians were the second most common nationality after Afghans among small boat arrivals, making up 18 per cent of the total.