Ten Moldovans found hidden in van prompting human trafficking arrest

Two men from Moldavia were arrested in Ter Apel on Wednesday morning on suspicion of human trafficking. The Koninklijke Marechaussee found that they were transporting 10 people in their van, all also with Moldovan nationality.

None of the people in the van had valid border crossing documents, prompting suspicions of human trafficking, the Marechaussee said on Facebook. The driver and passenger in the front seat were arrested. They are in custody and will be arraigned on Friday.

The other people in the van all applied for asylum, the Marechaussee said. The investigation is ongoing.

The Koninklijke Marechaussee is a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for border security, among other things. Over the past years, the service increasingly dealt with people trying to cross the border unnoticed. On Tuesday two truck drivers were arrested at Hoek van Holland after Marechaussee officers found a total of 23 people hiding in their trucks. The trucks were on their way to make the crossing to the United Kingdom.