Latest news and updates
Mother and son plead guilty to people smuggling
14 January 2010
A French mother and son have pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle 16 Vietnamese nationals into the UK.
Christiane Chocat, aged 51, and Benjamin Chocat, aged 20, both from Lumigny Nesles Ormeaux, near Paris, were arrested by the UK Border Agency on Thursday 1 October 2009.
The pair were caught by officers at about 19.30 as they attempted to drive through controls in Portsmouth Docks with 13 men and three women hidden inside their hire van.
The stowaways were contained within a wooden concealment, designed to hide them from view, surrounded by boxes of shrimp noodles.
The van was on board the "Normandy Express" which had arrived from Cherbourg that evening.
Officers from the UK Border Agency and Hampshire Police detained and removed the Vietnamese nationals back to France the same evening.
Detective Inspector Andy Cummins of the UK Border Agency's South East immigration crime team said:
'The UK Border Agency is determined to crack down on people smuggling. Using the latest technology, officers will spot people hiding in vehicles and will remove those attempting to enter the UK illegally.
'Today's conviction sends out a clear message that we will take action against ruthless people who attempt to exploit those attempting to enter the UK illegally. We will not allow criminal networks to make money from such a trade.
'When we identify people aiding and abetting illegal entry into the UK we will challenge them.
'We will act swiftly to prosecute those who attempt to abuse the goodwill of the UK and our hospitality in this way.'
The UK Border Agency uses visual checks, as well as sniffer dogs, carbon dioxide probes and heartbeat detector to identify people hiding in lorries and other vehicles.
The mother and son will be sentenced on 5 February 2010 at Portsmouth Crown Court.