Almost 20 illegal immigrants were found hiding inside a truck bound for Dublin.
The UK’s border force officers made the discovery in France as the lorry waited to board a ferry in Dunkirk.
Officials said the two women and 17 men were found when officers searched a Latvian-registered vehicle en-route to Dublin via the UK.
The stowaways, 12 from Iran and seven from Vietnam, were handed to the French authorities when discovered in the early hours of Friday.
Border force said the Latvian driver was also handed to the French border police on suspicion of attempted facilitation and for further investigation into the incident.
Carole Upshall, director for the south of England and Europe, said border force staff in France stop would-be illegal immigrants before they can reach the UK.
“Our officers use sniffer dogs, heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes as well as physical searches to find people hiding in vehicles,” she added.
PA