A man from Harrow has been jailed for attempting to smuggle an Iranian national into the UK after a man was found hidden under a blanket in his car.
Salah Hekmat from Harrow Road in Kensal Green , has been sentenced to 18 months in prison following the incident on June 28 2016.
Border Force officers at the UK bound controls at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles, France, stopped a British registered Mercedes, questioning the driver, Hekmat, and examining the car.
Officers found a man hidden under a blanket on the rear seat.
The man, who was identified as an Iranian national, was passed to the French Police.
Hekmat, 43, was arrested and the case was handed to Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation officers, following which he was charged with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK.
Hekmat told police in interview he did not know the man was hiding in his car, stating the man 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.
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