Man caught trying to smuggle Vietnamese migrants through Dover in secret van compartment

A 23-year-old Romanian tried to smuggle four Vietnamese migrants through the Port of Dover hidden in a secret van compartment. Marian-Marius Radu was stopped by Border Force officers in September at Dover after the four migrants were intercepted while walking across vehicle lanes near the port.

It was later revealed the four were Vietnamese nationals who had got out of the vehicle driven by Radu.

At Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday (December 18) Radu was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of assisting unlawful entry into the UK by a non-UK national.

The four Vietnamese were detained and processed by immigration authorities. The Home Office said CCTV footage showed Radu acting suspiciously while queueing to leave Dover’s port.

He was on his phone, scanning the area, and adjusting the the van’s cab mirrors to look around. The footage had also shown Radu then lifting a curtain behind him in the cab, directing the migrants to get out.

Radu in his van was intercepted by Border Force officers and a search uncovered a set of plates under the passenger seat, matching the registration details for the ferry booking.

The sentencing happened in the week the Home Office launched an international campaign to “debunk people smugglers’ lies”.

Adverts were posted on social media in Vietnam, “exposing the false promises made by people-smuggling gangs using real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they were promised”, said the Home Office.

It said next year, the campaign would expand to reach people at every stage of the journey, warning them about the “risks and realities of entering the UK illegally”. The campaign also aims to warn prospective migrants about the realities of illegal working as the government “continues to crack down on employers exploiting people for profit and breaking the law”.

Deputy director of criminal and financial investigations, immigration enforcement Steve Blackwell said: “This sentencing shows that people smuggling has serious consequences and that those involved in this dangerous and illegal activity will be stopped.”

“The UK will not tolerate criminals exploiting vulnerable people and putting lives at risk. Radu’s actions were all about greed, with no thought for the lives he was endangering. This result shows he has been held accountable and will face justice for his reckless actions.

“I want to thank all the officers, teams, and partners who worked hard to bring Radu to justice. Our Immigration Enforcement and Criminal and Financial Investigations teams will continue to target organised immigration crime and shut down the gangs profiting off vulnerable people.”