Van Driver Sentenced for Smuggling Vietnamese Migrants

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for smuggling seven Vietnamese migrants in a hidden compartment of his van on a cross-Channel ferry from Dieppe to Newhaven. Discovered in life-threatening conditions as they were deprived of oxygen and water, the migrants were rescued by ferry crew members who used an axe to break the fake partition. The migrants suffered severe health issues, including dehydration, possible heart attack, and acute kidney injury. Judge Christine Laing described the exploitation of desperate individuals for profit as a grave offense and highlighted the increased penalties for such crimes. Al Mustafa's actions sparked a major emergency response, with police, ambulance, and Border Force attending the scene. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, condemned Al Mustafa as an 'evil criminal,' emphasizing the dire conditions the migrants endured.