Six kids, 11 adults found stowed away in refrigerated truck in Hoek van Holland
Koninklijke Marechaussee officers found 17 people stowed away in a refrigerated truck in Hoek van Holland on Saturday. Six of the people found were children. The truck was on the ferry about to depart for the United Kingdom. Two suspects were arrested on suspicion of people smuggling, the Marechaussee reported on Monday.
The Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for border security, found the stowaways during a regular exit check for the ferry to the United Kingdom.
The trailer’s refrigeration system was turned on, so medical assistance was called in. Several ambulances responded to the scene, but it proved unnecessary. All 17 people were unharmed.
The group consisted of 14 people with Turkish nationality, two people from Kuwait, and one from Iran.
The Marechaussee arrested the truck driver, a 50-year-old man from Turkey. After further investigation, they also arrested a 31-year-old man from the group found inside the trailer.
The investigation is ongoing.
