Five men, from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, have been prevented from entering Somerset, England, after they were found by the UK Border Agency hidden in a lorry carrying grapefruit.
The would-be illegal immigrants were first detected in Dunkirk, France by a sniffer dog while the lorry was preparing to board a ferry bound for the UK.
The men were detained by the UK Border Agency before being handed over to the French Border Police, after the incident on Friday morning.
The vehicle was allowed to continue its journey to Bridgwater, but the British driver and haulage firm face a fine if they are unable to prove they took adequate steps to secure the lorry.
UK Border Agency’s dector for operations in Northern France, Carole Upshall, said: “This is exactly why we have staff in France and Belgium – to stop illegal immigrants before they can reach the UK.
“As well as using sniffer dogs, our staff also use heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes.”