Two truckers arrested for human smuggling; 23 people found hidden
The Koninklijke Marechaussee found a total of 23 migrants hiding in trucks at Hoek van Holland on Tuesday. Two truck drivers were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, the Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for border security, said on Facebook.
Marechaussee officers and a sniffer dog checked a refrigerated truck that was on its way to England on Tuesday evening. The dog signaled that it found something, and the officers searched the truck. In the refrigerated cargo trailer they found 21 people, including children. "They are all in good health and are probably of Vietnamese descent", the Marechaussee said. The 25-year-old Irish truck driver was arrested.
On Tuesday afternoon, two Iraqi men were also found on a truck, hiding between a load of washing machines. The 47-year-old Polish truck driver was arrested.
Both suspects are in custody. The investigation is ongoing.
