Thread: British Band Arrested after Illegal Immigrants Found Hiding

Updated: Monday, 07 Jun 2010, 2:42 PM CDT
Published : Monday, 07 Jun 2010, 1:08 PM CDT

(NewsCore) - A British punk rock band was arrested for alleged human trafficking after illegal immigrants hid inside their speakers in a bid to sneak into the U.K, the Bristol Evening Post reported Monday.

Ben Waldock, Josh Reed and Ben Dowling, all 18 -- members of ' Criminal Mind ' -- were stopped as they arrived in the British port of Dover after a European tour.

Customs officers discovered four Vietnamese stowaways hiding inside their speakers.

The band's Czech driver had allegedly picked up the illegal immigrants as they returned from two gigs in the Czech Republic.

The four musicians were eventually released without charge when they managed to convince officials they had nothing to do with the bizarre plot.

Waldock, the band's drummer, told the Post he suspected something was amiss on the journey home when his bag of cheese and onion crisps mysteriously disappeared.

"The customs guy said to us 'your luggage is fine but what's with all the Vietnamese in your van?'" added Dowling, the bassist.

The band's 25-year-old driver was charged with immigration offenses.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpps/news/briti ... fc_7961723

Shock find in back of punk rock band's van - four stowaways
criminal-mind
Arresting time: Criminal Mind

WHEN a local punk rock band went on their Eastern European tour they came back with a lot more than they bargained for.

Ben Dowling, Josh Read and Ben Waldock were having a great time – until they were arrested for human trafficking.

The band – ironically named Criminal Mind – spent nine hours in police cells in Dover after four Vietnamese immigrants were found hiding inside speakers in the back of the van they were travelling home in.

The teenagers from Bishop Sutton flew to Prague on April 23 and everything was running smoothly as they played two gigs in the Czech Republic.

On the third day, they were due to play their final gig in Paris. But having flown to Brussels, ready to drive to France, they found out it had been cancelled.

A Czech contact had organised a van for them, which was now going to take them home to England.

The musicians loaded their guitars and equipment onto the white, Transit-type van and set off, with two Czech men on driving duties.

Bassist Mr Dowling, 18, said: "Two hours after we left Brussels we were sat in the back – me and Josh – chatting about what had been going on. Then he said, 'what could make this trip more interesting?' I leant back in my seat and saw these spindly little fingers. Then I felt a tap on the shoulder and I just saw this face in the darkness going 'sshhh'."

Drummer Ben Waldock, 18, said: "I was sat in the front with the two blokes and when the lads told me there were people hiding in the speakers I just thought they were joking because they had been winding me up all weekend."

Mr Read, the band's lead singer and guitarist, added: "One of the men driving us spoke English, the other one spoke none at all."

The band decided not to say anything. It is understood the English speaking man got out at Calais and the band boarded the ferry with the driver and later arrived at Diver.

"When we got back into the van I realised my half bag of cheese and onion rings had been eaten," added Mr Read.

Then, as the trio had feared, the van, which had tinted windows, was stopped in Dover.

Mr Dowling said: "The customs guy said to us 'your luggage is fine but what's with all the Vietnamese in your van?'"

Everyone in the van was arrested and taken to Dover police station

"I was scared when I was in that cell," said Mr Waldock. "I was thinking what if it all goes bad and it all gets blamed on us?"

But Mr Dowling said: "I wasn't worried because I knew we were innocent."

Eventually the band, who have supported Sham 69, were bailed until June 15 and concerned parents Del Dowling and Patrick Waldock came to pick them up.

Last week, the three musicians who used to go to Chew Valley School were informed their bail had been cancelled and they were now witnesses in the case, much to the relief of them and their worried families.

"It was actually a quality tour, up until the smuggling immigrants part," said Mr Read. "It's a learning curve. Our mates have been saying we're real punks now we've been arrested. But I think we'll be staying in England for a while."

Kent Police confirmed that the 25-year-old van driver has been charged with facilitating entry by asylum-seekers and has been remanded in custody.

To hear Criminal Mind's music, much of which is anti-crime, visit www.myspace.com/criminalmindpunk.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Sho ... ticle.html

Oh, sure...they're called "Criminal Mind" yet they say they are totally innocent?