Illegal immigrants found in camper van

A jobless Wolverhampton woman accused of being involved in an international people smuggling operation was caught when customs officers found four illegal immigrants hiding in her camper van, a court heard.

Deborah Minogue, aged 40, was said to be in financial trouble when she was stopped in Hull on September 2, 2008 after driving off the Pride of Brugge ferry. Customs officials who searched her vehicle found three Indian men hidden in a pull down bed above the driver's cabin.

An Indian boy was also found hiding in the toilet.

Minogue, of Lawfred Avenue, Wednesfield, and Towfik Osman, 31, of Othello Road, Wednesfield, deny a joint charge of conspiring to assist in the unlawful immigration of non European citizens into the UK.

Prosecutor Andrew Wilson told Hull Crown Court that, despite describing herself as a single passenger, Minogue knew she had an illegal cargo. He added that the pair denied knowing each other even though ferry tickets showed them together on the outward bound trip to France from Dover on August 29. Osman was not in the camper van when Minogue was stopped but he was arrested later.

Mr Wilson said: "They were both in difficult financial circumstances, she had a benefit loan, Osman had a huge amount of debt but was found with £900 in cash when he was arrested."

He said Osman had been "very vague" about who he was travelling with.

He also denied telephoning Minogue but Mr Wilson said at the time the pair were in almost daily contact with each other and paperwork showed Osman was with Minogue when she hired the camper van.

Mr Wilson said it was the crown's case that the pair had fabricated their lack of links in an effort to disguise the truth and added: "How did these immigrants get in and stay in the camper van without her knowing? All through their interviews the defendants have not given an explanation, reasonable or otherwise, about how they got into that van."

The trial continues.