Three people, including two Albanians, have been arrested for illegally importing a woman and a six-year-old child into the United Kingdom via a lorry.
According to a statement from the National Crime Agency (NCA), the arrest of the three men took place on the morning of March 23 by officers of the agency. The lorry had arrived at the port of Killingholme in North Lincolnshire by ferry from the Hook of Holland.
The vehicle was checked by the Border Guard Forces, who were cooperating with the NCA. The woman and child, both of Albanian nationality, were found hiding in the cabin of the truck and were handed over to the immigration authorities.
The driver of the lorry, a 36-year-old man from Poland, has been arrested and charged with aiding and abetting illegal immigration. He is expected to appear at Grimsby Crown Court today.
Shortly afterwards, two Albanian men, aged 44 and 26, were also arrested a few miles from the port where the lorry stopped. The two men had started their journey by car from the Hendon area of London and are believed to have been heading towards the lorry in which the woman and child were found.
The 44-year-old was released on bail pending further investigations, while the 26-year-old remains in custody, as he appears to be wanted by Interpol through a Red Notice. There is a possibility that he will be extradited to Italy, where he is wanted for drug trafficking offences.
Disrupting organised crime related to immigration remains a key priority for the NCA.
Many of the criminal groups involved are based abroad, but there are also accomplices in the United Kingdom.
