A 33-year-old Belarusian national has been arrested in Poland for attempting to smuggle nearly two dozen illegal immigrants over the Polish-German border in a modified lorry.
Officers from the Polish Border Guard made the discovery on Oct. 20 during a road inspection on the A2 highway at the Polish-German checkpoint in Świecko.
The truck, registered in Lithuania, had been modified to include a secret compartment within the cargo hold where the migrants were trafficked.
“As a result of the vehicle inspection, officers found in the cargo area a specially constructed compartment where 21 foreigners were located,” the Polish Border Guard reported.
The vehicle was transporting 17 Syrians, three Iranians, and one Iraqi national. The men did not possess documents allowing them entry or stay in Poland. Due to their illegal status, they were detained, and deportation proceedings have been initiated against all of them.
Until a decision regarding their necessity to leave Poland is made, the Syrians are under the surveillance of the Border Guard, whereas the Iranians and the Iraqi national, by court order, have been placed in one of the guarded centers for illegal immigrants.
The driver of the vehicle, a 33-year-old Belarusian national who had been living permanently in Lithuania, was detained by police.
He was subsequently charged with aiding an attempt to cross the Polish-German border against regulations. For assisting in crossing the national border against the law, in collaboration with others, he faces a penalty of up to three years in prison.
