- Suspected sub-Saharan migrants were trying to cross from Morocco into Melilla
- Two men were reportedly found under the boot and one was under the car seats
- Fourth suspect, a woman, was detained after being found under the dashboard
Two of the people – from sub-Saharan Africa – were hiding in the car’s boot
Four suspected migrants have been caught trying to sneak into Europe by hiding inside a car as it crossed into the Spanish North African territory of Melilla.
Two of the people – from sub-Saharan Africa – were hiding in the car’s boot, while another was found under the bonnet.
A fourth, a woman, was reportedly found under the dashboard.
The driver and a passenger in the car were also detained, according to Spanish daily La Vanguardia.
Two police officers involved in catching the four suspected migrants had to be treated for injuries – one after taking a blow to the knee, the other after being hit in the hand.
The suspected migrants reportedly entered Spanish territory at the Beni-Enzar border crossing between Melilla and Morocco.
Another was found hiding under the bonnet. Spain is increasingly targeted by people keen to reach Europe from Africa, with the number of migrants getting into the country in 2017 hitting a record high of nearly 22,900
According to Spanish media, the car sped through security controls before the driver and his passenger dumped it outside a petrol station and fled.
They were both arrested, however, and the suspected migrants soon found inside.
Melilla and Ceuta, another Spanish enclave nearly 250 miles away on the north coast of Africa, are often used as entry points into Europe for African migrants.
They have the only two land borders between Africa and the European Union.
Over the years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 7.5-mile frontier between Melilla and Morocco, or the 5-mile border at Ceuta, by climbing the border fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles. Pictured left and right: Migrants attempting to hop the fence and reach Europe in 2014
Over the years, thousands of migrants have attempted to cross the 7.5-mile frontier between Melilla and Morocco, or the 5-mile border at Ceuta, by climbing the border fences, swimming along the coast or hiding in vehicles.
Spain is increasingly targeted by people keen to reach Europe from Africa, with the number of migrants getting into the country in 2017 hitting a record high of nearly 22,900, according to EU border agency Frontex.
This was more than double the previous record set in 2016.