A GROUP of suspected illegal immigrants was arrested by police after a raid on a lorry in Crick.
Officers were alerted to ‘suspicious circumstances’ at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) by a member of the public on Wednesday last week (January 25).
Eleven suspects, all of whom are male, were taken to a local police station before officers contacted the UK Border Agency.
The member of the public who spotted the suspects flagged down a passing police vehicle shortly before 4pm after spotting them trying to escape from the lorry.
After investigation it was discovered that six of the 11 suspected immigrants are under 18 years of age.
They have now been passed into the care of social services.
Of the other five adults two are from Iran, one from Kuwait, one from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan. Three of the men have claimed asylum and been placed in asylum accommodation while their cases are dealt with.
The other two currently remain in UK Border Agency detention.
A spokesman from Northamptonshire Police said the males tried to flee out of the back of the lorry before they were arrested.
Three of the suspects were arrested straight away and the police helicopter was used to track down the remaining eight.
The UK Border Agency said that if the suspects are found to have no right to be in the UK they will be removed from the country.
A UK Border Agency spokesman added: “When suspected illegal immigrants are found on lorries our officers attend quickly.
“We continue to work closely with police to tackle illegal immigration and immigration crime. Where an individual is found to have no legal right to remain in the UK we will take action to remove them.”