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Rumbled: Illegal immigrants who stowed away on lorry end up at US airbase
Last updated at 12:20pm on 05.07.08
Two Afghan teenagers smuggled themselves into Britain on a lorry - only to have their plan foiled when they emerged inside a giant US airbase.
The 17-year-olds secretly stowed away under the lorry at Calais in France, unaware that it was heading to RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk.
The pair jumped out from their hiding place after security checks failed to discover them at the main gate on Tuesday.
Two Afghan teenagers smuggled themselves in a lorry at Calais, like this illegal immigrant, but ended up in a US airbase in Suffolk
They fled after being spotted and climbed a fence to escape, but were arrested 90 minutes later just outside the base.
A spokeswoman for RAF Lakenheath said the Afghans had 'no hostile intent' and did not know the lorry was going to the base.
The illegal immigrants have now been handed over to Social Services and the UK Border Agency.
Since their discovery, security measures have been stepped up on vehicles entering the base, which is home to 5,700 US personnel and dozens of F-15 fighter bombers.
A spokesman for Ministry of Defence police said the lorry driver had been unaware of the stowaways
Reader views (3)
Slip them straight out again.
- Stephen D., London England
Anybody could have laced the food with slow acting poison.
Then just jumped off the truck.
After a week or so, the lethality of the poison would then start to take effect.
In fact, to show what a complete nonsense all this TERRORISM is in Britain, why haven't these terrorists already done that to the general public?
They could kill tens of thousands, but haven't!
The British government are just overblowing the whole thing to take away our hard won freedoms!
- T.W James, Guildford. England.
Surely if they emerged in a US airbase they can claim their asylum in America - 2 less for us to pay for!
- Emma, London
