Birmingham man jailed for trying to smuggle a woman and child in the boot of a car
The car was stopped by border force officers before entering the UK
Last updated 26th Sep 2024
A man from Birmingham has been jailed after cramming two Vietnamese migrants inside his car boot.
Border Force officers stopped a hire car driven by Leon Leslie bound for the UK in Coquelles, France on 16 April 2023.
The 14-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman were wedged into the boot with little room to move or breathe.
39-year-old, Leslie of Francis Road, Edgbaston, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of assisting unlawful immigration into the UK.
On questioning, Leslie refused to offer an explanation as to why the woman and girl were in the boot of his car.
Home Office Criminal Investigation Officer Nadia Kehayova said Leslie showed a 'total disregard for their safety'.
She also went onto say:
“The sole priority of these criminals is financial gain, at the expense of those they exploit under false promises of a better life in the UK. I am delighted our teams have stopped this criminal from succeeding."
He was jailed today for three years at Canterbury Crown Court.