Two men have been charged with involvement in the smuggling of children from south east Asia.

Irish nationals Wayne Sherlock and Eoin Nowlan, who live in Dover, were arrested on Thursday following the discovery of 10 migrants in a lorry carrying a load of tyres in Belgium.

The two adults and eight children found are believed to be from south east Asia.

Belgian officers - who arrested the 64-year-old Glaswegian driver - were acting on information from the National Crime Agency.

Nowlan, 48, and Sherlock, 39, were then arrested in Dover on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration.

Two firearms were seized upon their arrest.

A 30-year-old man was subsequently arrested in County Antrim, Northern Ireland yesterday.

The two Irish men and the driver have since been remanded in custody following a hearing this morning at Canterbury Magistrates' Court. The 30-year-old has been released on bail.

The charges come amid a wider investigation into mass people smuggling.

NCA regional head of investigation Gerry McLean said: “Our close working with our Belgian partners in this instance has led to the safeguarding of a number of migrants who had been put in a very dangerous situation, and we are grateful for their support.

“We have seen only recently in Essex the tragic consequences which these types of attempts can have.

“Working with partners at home and abroad, we are determined to do all we can to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks involved in illegal immigration, and our investigation into this matter continues.”

West Flanders Prosecutor Frank Demeester added: “This kind of human smuggling is very dangerous, and the operation proves once more that international cooperation works in the fight against this type of organised crime.

“The contacts between the British NCA and Belgian Federal Judicial Police, maritime police and prosecutors have become more intense in recent years.

“In the fight against human smuggling, the UK is obviously an important partner as being the country of destination.”

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