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Irish move on stowaways...
Page 14
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IRHA seeks the source of stowaways and contraband. David Harris reports.
THE IRISI I Road Haulage Association (IRHA) is carrying out research among its members into warehouses in Germany and Holland where it suspects illegal immigrants have been put into trucks which are then sealed.
Jimmy Quinn,spokesman for the association,explains that the IRHA launched its investigation after a pattern appeared in Irish vehicles found with either illegal immigrants or contraband on board.
"We feel we already know of warehouses on the Continent where there is a clear pattern," he adds."That is where investigations should be concentrated, rather than on the drivers who are the victims in all this."
Quinn warns that the danger is not just from illegal immigrants, but also more routine smuggling such as tobacco and alcohol.
The difficulty for drivers is that if seals are put in place at the warehouse they have no idea what is on the trailer, but they can still be prosecuted if anything illegal is found by Customs when they enter the UK or Ireland. Quinn reports that Irish drivers are sometimes offered last-minute freight to carry and they do not necessarily know what it is that they are carrying.
He says: "Sometimes they have no reason to suspect anything is wrong. But even where there clearly is something going on. it can be difficult for the drivers. I know of one case recently where a driver was offered €35,000 to take a holdall back to London. Now you know something is wrong fot someone to offer a year's wage for a day's work, but it can be harC for a driver with a mortgage tc turn that down."