A Swansea van driver has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for smuggling migrants in a hidden compartment in his van after they were discovered screaming for help as they were starved of oxygen. Anas Al Mustafa, 43, was convicted of assisting unlawful migration by trafficking the seven people in a specially adapted van via a ferry between Dieppe in France and Newhaven, East Sussex on February 16.
The discovery at the East Sussex port sparked a major emergency services response with ambulances, police and Border Force in attendance. Jurors at Lewes Crown Court previously heard how the six men and one woman were being starved of oxygen and suffering from dehydration in the concealed space which was “the width of a human chest”.
Prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC told the court that while the younger migrants recovered from dehydration and heat, one man had a possible heart attack, one woman had acute kidney injury and another man went to hospital in a comatose state and suffered a stroke. Crew members on the Seven Sisters ship heard pleas from inside a van on deck during the journey and used an axe to break down the fake partition hiding the people inside to free them.
During the trial, Al Mustafa denied knowing about the people in the vehicle and claimed he was “shocked” and “completely numb” at the discovery. The court heard he was introduced to trafficking by a man in Syria who paid him for driving jobs. Sentencing Anas Al Mustafa, Judge Christine Laing KC said the offence compromises the economic and physical safety of the nation and its citizens.
She emphasised the dangers faced by desperate people seeking entry into the UK and criticized those who exploit them for profit without regard for their safety. The judge rejected Al Mustafa’s claims of ignorance and involvement, stating that he was not just a mere driver in the operation. Al Mustafa’s denial of knowledge about the people in the van was disputed by evidence presented during the trial.
The court proceedings revealed the harrowing conditions the migrants endured during the clandestine journey, emphasizing the risks associated with human trafficking. The sentencing sends a strong message about the seriousness of such crimes and the need to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation and harm.