ILLEGAL immigrants who smuggled themselves into Britain in the back of a truck were arrested yesterday - the latest seized amid a shock rise in people hiding in lorries.
In the past year, the number of at Channel ports has leapt by nearly a quarter.
employed by migrants desperate to reach the UK. Since then, small boat crossings have boomed.
Yesterday, 13 migrants jumped from the back of a lorry and made a run for it at a Sainsbury’s distribution centre in Charlton, South East .
were called at 8am and arrested nine men in relation to offences. They were taken into custody for questioning.
Four others underwent an age assessment which later proved they were over 18.
The Met Police said inquiries are ongoing.
It is understood the migrants had sneaked into the back of an HGV travelling from .
Exclusive photos obtained by The Sun show the group outside the distribution centre after trying to flee.
A trucker who saw the drama said: “A few of us were standing around the yard when a driver from an outside company delivering goods from Spain came in.
“He parked, opened the back door of his lorry up, and out came around a dozen immigrants.
“They started running around the yard trying to get out, but they didn’t get very far.
“Someone from the office noticed and the managers came out and were trying to contain them all.
“I don’t think the lorry driver had a clue they were in his vehicle.
“It took everyone by surprise.”;
A spokesman for Wincanton, which operates the distribution centre, said: “We are co-operating with the police and cannot comment further due to the ongoing investigation.”;
There has been a sharp rise in attempted illegal lorry crossings in the past year.
Figures show 5,874 migrants were detected at ports on the continent, including Calais, Dunkirk and the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles.
That is a 22 per cent rise compared with the 4,794 caught in 2023.
While migrants crossing the Channel are easily recorded, lorry stowaways .
But the method is fraught with danger.
In 2019, were discovered in a trailer in Grays, .
They had suffocated during the journey from .
And last year, ferry staff discovered seven Vietnamese migrants in a van at Newhaven, East .
More than 44,000 people are known to have - by small boat, in the back of lorries, using fake documents and hiding in car boots.
Small boat arrivals made up 86 per cent in the year to March, totalling 38,023.
Another 2,585 were found within 72 hours of sneaking into Britain via other methods. data shows most were from , followed by and Iraq.
Some 3,240 were stopped by Border Force at British airports trying to use fake and documents.
But the number caught at our ports has fallen by 74 per cent since 2018 as have risen.
In the year to March, only 277 migrants were detected.
Since 2018, more than two thirds of irregular arrivals have been men above the age of 18.
Meanwhile, frontline officers warn criminals will exploit budget cuts to .
The department is among those expected to bear the brunt of savings in the Government’s spending review next month.
One insider told The Times that a reduction in frontline staff would be a “threat to national security”;.
