A Romanian people trafficker, who tried to smuggle five Vietnamese teenagers through the Channel Tunnel in a tent in his car, has been jailed for more than four years.
Claudiu Pricope was stopped by Border Force officers at the UK checkpoint at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, France on November 4.
When asked what he was carrying in his Seat Alhambra, Pricope was vague, saying that it was clothing, but that he did not know where it was from, where it was going or who it was for.
Unsatisfied with his responses, Border Force officers subjected the vehicle to further examination.
They found the car full of clothes, before discovering five people crammed into a two-person tent.
They found the car full of clothes, before discovering five people crammed into a two-person tent
![The Vietnamese nationals, two males and three females, were passed to the French Police Aux Frontières and Pricope, 29, of no fixed address, was arrested](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/05/11/4700F15500000578-0-image-a-4_1512471671279.jpg)
The Vietnamese nationals, two males and three females, were passed to the French Police Aux Frontières and Pricope, 29, of no fixed address, was arrested
Paul Morgan, Director of Border Force South East and Europe, said: ‘The car appeared to be full of bags of clothes, however when officers opened a rear side door and began removing the bags they found a two person tent, fully erected in the void where the rear passenger seats should have been. Inside the tent were crammed five people.
‘The temperature inside the tent was intense. All five of the teenagers were drenched in sweat, but people smugglers care little about the conditions in which they transport their human cargo, often putting the lives of others at risk.’
The Vietnamese nationals, two males and three females, were passed to the French Police Aux Frontières and Pricope, 29, of no fixed address, was arrested.
![Pricope pleaded guilty yesterday at a pre -trial hearing at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent and was sentenced immediately](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/05/11/4700F17200000578-0-image-m-5_1512471674258.jpg)
Pricope pleaded guilty yesterday at a pre -trial hearing at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent and was sentenced immediately
The investigation was passed to Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation officers and Pricope was subsequently charged with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK.
Pricope pleaded guilty yesterday at a pre -trial hearing at Canterbury Crown Court in Kent and was sentenced immediately.
Assistant Director David Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation team, said: ‘This was not an opportunistic offence, but a carefully planned attempt to circumvent the UK’s immigration rules.
‘Pricope misguidedly believed that zipping the people into a tent would defeat Border Force, but all it achieved was to subject them to uncomfortable conditions.
‘We work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously investigate allegations of immigration related criminality and this case should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of offending. We will catch you, and put you before the courts.’
Pricope, was charged with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK (contrary to Section 25 (1) & (6) of the Immigration Act and received four years and three months imprisonment.