Driver jailed for hiding Iranian man under blanket in his car as he tried to

smuggle him into UK

Salah Hekmat has been jailed after the man was discovered when his car was
stopped at the Channel Tunnel

BYLOIS SWINNERTON
 15:16, 10 APR 2017
NEWS

An Iranian man was found beneath a blanket in the car.

A Mercedes driver has been jailed after officials found an Iranian man hidden under a
blanket in the back of his car.

Salah Hekmat, of Kensal Green in London, was stopped by Border Force Officials at
the UK bound controls at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, France and the man was
found.
Hekmat was jailed for 18 months for assisting unlawful immigration into the UK,
getwestlondon reports.
Officers found a man hidden under a blanket on the rear seat of the British registered
Mercedes when they stopped Hekmat.

The man, who was identified as an Iranian national, was passed to the French Police.

Hekmat was arrested and the case was handed to Immigration Enforcement Criminal
and Financial Investigation officers. He was then charged with assisting unlawful
immigration into the UK.

The 43-year-old told police in interview he did not know the man was hiding in his
car, stating he must have got into his vehicle when he stopped at a roadside services
on his journey to Coquelles.

On April 6, he was found guilty by majority verdict at Canterbury Crown Court ,

following a two day trial.
Assistant director David Fairclough, from the Immigration Enforcement Criminal and
Financial Investigations team, said: " Any attempt to breach the UK’s immigration
laws is an extremely serious matter and the consequences are severe.

"The sentence handed out should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get
involved with this kind of criminality. We will catch you, and put you before the courts.

"We will continue to work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously
investigate allegations of immigration related criminality."

Anyone with information relating to suspected immigration abuse can get in touch
with Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or visit its website.
1. Answer the questions.

1. Kit találtak a tisztviselők az autóban?

2. Hány személyt találtak?
3. Hol találtak rá?
4. Milyen nemzetiségű volt a személy?
5. Milyen márkájú volt az autó?
6. Hol vették nyilvántartásba az autót?
7. Ki vezette az autót?
8. Mikor állították meg?
9. Hány éves volt a sofőr?
10. Hol történt az eset?
11. Mennyi időre került börtönbe Hekmat?
12. Miért tartóztatták le?
13. Mi történt az iráni személlyel?
14. Kiknek adták őt át?
15. Mit mondott a sofőr a rendőrségi kihallgatáson?
16. Tudott a sofőr az irániról?
17. Mit mondott David Fairclough a bevándorlási törvények megsértéséről?
18. Kik számára lehet ez az ítélet figyelmeztetés?

2. Imagine that you are one of the officers present at the time of the incident. Write a
dialogue, using the data given in the text! Question both the driver and the person hiding
in the car!

3. Note down at least 10 expressions from the article which you think useful in similar
situations in police measures! (Both in English and Hungarian.)