Anas Al Mustafa, 43, is on trial for allegedly smuggling seven individuals into the UK in a specially modified van via the ferry from Dieppe, France, to Newhaven on February 16.
During today’s proceedings at Lewes Crown Court, it was revealed that the Seven Sisters ferry crew had to use an axe to free the migrants from a concealed compartment after hearing “banging and screaming.”
Prosecutor Nick Corsellis, KC, stated that the migrants called for help due to a lack of oxygen and dehydration.
In his police interview, Al Mustafa, a self-employed builder, claimed he was initially approached by a man named Badr in Syria in January 2024. He was paid £500 to drive a van for an MOT test in Liverpool. In February, Badr offered him another job for £5,000, asking him to transport a vehicle from Belgium to England.
Al Mustafa asserted he was unaware of the migrants in the van but suspected their presence due to the high payment. When questioned by officers about the substantial payment for driving an empty van, he admitted, “I think there is people inside. Why he pay 5,000 this time?”
Corsellis suggested that this could be considered a partial confession and argued that Al Mustafa was not fully transparent about his involvement in the trafficking.
Investigations revealed that Al Mustafa had been researching refrigerated units, and footprints matching his were found on the van’s bonnet, near the hidden compartment entrance.
Captain Xavier Fontenit reported that, upon learning of the migrants’ distress, attempts were made to contact the driver, who did not respond. When the driver finally arrived, he appeared confused, did not speak English well, and did not assist in the rescue, instead sitting on his phone.
Australian nurse Sari Gehle, traveling with her children, helped the crew after a call for assistance. She described the migrants as “terrified,” with one female repeatedly saying “Vietnam” and others in distress, including a man vomiting and another with a shoulder injury. They were given oxygen masks.
Gehle noted that one person stood out as unusually calm amidst the chaos. This individual, described as an Asian man in a puffer jacket, was identified as the defendant.
Lucy Bristo, who also assisted, said the migrants were “very frightened and in shock.”
Al Mustafa, residing in Heather Crescent, Swansea, and originally from Syria, denies charges of aiding unlawful immigration. The trial continues.
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