Three men and three women from France who pretended to be tourists were jailed today (Friday 27 February) after they were caught in a convoy of cars bringing three Vietnamese nationals into the UK.

They arrived in Poole by ferry on the night of 4 August last year having boarded at Cherbourg. Each of their three cars had a man in the driver’s seat and a woman in the front passenger seat. They claimed to be visiting London but sniffer dogs detected something suspicious in the back of the cars during a routine security search. 

In the rear footwell of each car was a single Vietnamese national hiding under luggage and clothing. A man, a woman, and a 16-year-old girl required hospital treatment for crushing injuries and dehydration. 

In police interviews the six French nationals largely refused to comment but some denied knowing there was a third person in the back of the car they were in.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged them with assisting unlawful immigration after an investigation by Immigration Enforcement officers.

They all pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court last year. 

Those jailed today were:

o    Mouhammad Toure, 26, sentenced to 18 months.
o    Sarah Guedj, 23, sentenced to 18 months.
o    Mr Rayhan Diamane, 21, sentenced to 18 months.
o    Mariam Erraji, 21, sentenced to 18 months.
o    Mr Imrane Trabelsi, 21, sentenced to 18 months.
o    Ms Sohane Dahamni, 19, sentenced to 16 months.

Karen Fairley from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“This wasn’t a sophisticated attempt at people smuggling but it is typical of the desperate lengths that migrants and those who profit from them will go to.
“What is unusual is how young all six are and the impact a criminal record will have on their lives when they return to France.
“Immigration crime is not worth the devastation it causes the law breakers or their families.”