Man found in truck at An Post centre had hidden in the vehicle on the Continent

A man found in the back of a truck in a Dublin postal centre on Monday had hidden inside the vehicle in continental Europe and went unnoticed by the driver or Customs officials, only being found when the back of the vehicle was opened at the end of its journey at the centre.

The truck had come into the Republic via Rosslare Europort, Co Wexford, and was then driven to An Post's Dublin mail centre on Oak Road, Knockmitten, Dublin 12.

When the truck's trailer was opened at the centre on Monday the male foreign national was discovered inside and An Post staff called gardaí. The man's presence in the truck was not noticed in Rosslare, where a truck scanner is used but can only check a small percentage of vehicles on any sailing.

It is not unusual for people to hide inside vehicles, often around the port of Calais in France, in a bid to gain passage to Ireland or Britain. However, while stowaways who want to seek international protection in the Republic have been discovered in trucks in the Republic many times, it is highly unusual for them to be discovered at an An Post facility.

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The truck the man hid in had been in continental Europe in recent days. Gardaí believe the man climbed into the truck on the Continent and hid inside as it was driven onto the ferry bound for Rosslare.

The matter was now being treated as an immigration issue as the man was refused permission to land in the Republic. "A man was refused leave to land and is currently awaiting repatriation at Clondalkin Garda station," the Garda said.