Smuggled - channel 4

SimonM

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Anybody watching this?

its a documentary about people smuggling, and is essentially about Brits attempting to come back into the UK without a passport whilst being filmed by Channel 4.

it makes me wonder - has anyone ever been stopped and searched? I’ve only reentered in the MH a half dozen times, and a further 3 times in a car. I’ve never been stopped or entered or anything. Have you?

as a matter of interest I have been stopped and checked over riding solo on a motorbike. why?
 
I recall my mother and myself getting the boat train from Harwich to head over to Germany ultimately, and then returning home around 2 weeks later. Both out and back without a passport for either of us (she forget to pack it) and seemed to have no problems! But this was BEFORE the UK joined the Common Market, so clearly freedom of movement was easier before the EEC/EC/EU ;)

But stopped and searched? only the once - In Central London.
 
Yes, our van has been searched.

I assumed, judging by our age, it was about trying to look inclusive and not targeted.

Didn't find anything or anyone. Possibly because I always go on my hands and knees and check underneath before setting off for the ferry after our last stop.
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We have been stopped and checked twice. I realise that I am a dodgy person, but they came Into the van, looked around and checked the loo and wardrobe and then went. Just as if there was no space under the beds. On 3 occasions while on my bike they have been through my panniers and top box strange innit
 
It would be impossible to search every vehicle, this is why when they are checking your passport they will how your holiday and where have you been looking to see how you answer and if you hesitate,
 
We or should i say probably just me must look very dodgy o_O

Stopped and searched ( sometimes more thoroughly than others ) every time we come back into Blighty.

A few years back during the height of the problems at Calais they checked every orifice and even looked in the gas locker :oops:
 
Yes I watched it and was appalled at the apparent lack of security.
I've been stopped many times, but only to see how the bus had been converted. It seems to capture peoples imagination.
We've had armed Italian officers laugh when looking inside :(
Often we have witnessed cars being stripped and people being taken away from vehicles.
That said once coming back via Calais, we had an armed officer come inside. I did mention that if he had left his gun outside he'd be able to move around easier. He did not look impressed. Once we got to the English part of customs, I reported that someone had allowed "Children" to carry guns in the French part. He had no sense of humour either. The car in front of us had it's boot emptied.

Funny mentioning the toilet inspection earlier, I've been told by a few friends they have experienced this.
 
we have been stopped and had to lower the overcab bed to prove it was empty
 
We have been searched a couple of times coming back after 3 months away, including by a very burly man with a gun. He insisted we open the drop down bed - we both laughed but opened it - he smiled and left.
Another occasion we were directed into the customs shed in Dover on the way out. Official had a quick look and asked if we had any knives...... we didn't show him the kitchen knives, just Lee's penknife.
I watched that last bit of that programme - were that the official didn't pick up. We have always been asked to look at them.....
 
We have been searched a couple of times coming back after 3 months away, including by a very burly man with a gun. He insisted we open the drop down bed - we both laughed but opened it - he smiled and left.
Another occasion we were directed into the customs shed in Dover on the way out. Official had a quick look and asked if we had any knives...... we didn't show him the kitchen knives, just Lee's penknife.
I watched that last bit of that programme - were that the official didn't pick up. We have always been asked to look at them.....
Your knife thing reminded me when I was flying to Ireland from Exeter a few years ago, post 9/11 events. Queing for security I was checking my pockets to put stuff into the little basket thing and I found some sharp scissors or something - something prohibited anyway due to size. Got to the front and I had them in my hand ready to just hand them over to the security guy ... "very nice" he said and took no interest in them!
 
We’ve had the quick internal look around a couple of times over the years, checking the overbed the toilet compartment and the wardrobes as well as the garage.
However on our return from Morocco some 5 years ago, we got pulled at a roadside stop with everybody else by the French Customs. They also put the drugs dog in, even made me empty the garage so that the dog could get in. The dog went bonkers on the lounge seat. They squashed the foam, looked in the undercupboard and in the water tank that nearly filled the cupboard. They asked when we were returning to the UK and when.
Four days later, an army of French Customs staff appeared as we drove up to the customs cabin. They decided we needed to be x rayed and were escorted by two vans lit up with blue lights around the euro tunnel complex to the X-ray machine used to examine trucks. They reckoned the van was definitely dodgy, it was a Hobby Van exclusive based on a transit. So we were taken back to a shed with a pit and asked to sit in the provided chairs alongside the van whilst they searched. They even wanted to examine my wallet and interrogated me about the size of the fuel tank and why I was only buying 40 or 50 litres of diesel at a time. ( when travelling we’ll fill up each morning if we see a supermarket ). Any way we had to wait whilst they got some vehicle examiners, they were convinced there was something in the diesel tank! They removed it to get a better look inside, and........didn’t find anything. Five yes 5 hours later they said we could go. I wouldn’t leave until they showed me what they had been doing under the van and that it was all connected back up ( didn’t want the tank falling off an hour later on the M20) So we left and caught our train under the Chunnel. There was no interest at all from British Customs!
Now they didn’t find the safe!! It was on the opposite side to the diesel tank, hidden under a false floor and a few cans of beans.
On the roadside stop, I was allowed inside the van during the inspection and showed one of the guys where it was and how to get into it. But in Calais we weren’t allowed back in the van once we got into the inspection shed, so tough, there was just a bit of English cash and original documents in the safe.
So why the drug dog went banana, I’ve no idea. We crossed in that van several times more, but no further repercussions
 
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Reactions: Caz
Coming back 2 years ago in my VW by ferry, the French insisted in coming in the van and my opening the drawers and cupboards for them (none of which were large enough to hide a small child never mind an adult).
This year, returning by Chunnel, they didn't search anything - even though this van does have a few places an adult could squeeze into (if it wasn't chock full of all my gubbins).
 
We have been stopped and searched several times but never thoroughly, at different times they have missed checking under the bench, the wardrobe or the bathroom, a few years back returning from Dunkirk we were searched by the Army, then the Police, then the Douane and to add insult to injury by British Customs, on the French side it was all done with politeness and a smile which was totally different to the surly English ****
I get the topbox on my car inspected regularly but they laugh when they see it is full of wine, one even called his colleagues over to look, one of them shook my hand even though he kept the other one clasping the assault rifle 😲😂
 
When I was forty years olds I was made redundant so I bought an old motorhome ang buggered off Was away for nearly a year and visited most countries in Europe
On returning to Calais was stopped by English Customs and they emptied the van and I mean emptied it completely
I do not think there was a button left inside
They laid everything neatly in rows on the ground outside and then the search began..,
old smelly socks turned inside out, bar of soap cut into four pieces, lining of a coat cut open, box of cereal tipped out etc etc Lastly a tube of toothpaste all squeezed out
Was then told after 4 and a half hours I could go ''Could you please pass the things back up to the van so as to help me load back up again?''

No sorry we have not got time!!!!

I wished them well, trusting that they would all have happy lives for evermore and that they all won the Lottery, twice.
 

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