The German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) and customs officials discovered 18 migrants in the back of a refrigerated lorry on Friday (October 14) on German territory near the German, Polish border, in the eastern state of Brandenburg, not too far from Berlin.

According to a report in Germany’s weekly newspaper Die Zeit, the group were in an airtight container within the refrigerated lorry. The German news agency dpa added that customs officials made the discovery initially in the town of Guben during a routine check.

Two children aged five and ten years old were part of the group, as well as two 14-year-olds who were flagged as unaccompanied minors. The migrants, stated the German police, originally came from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. dpa added that 12 of the migrants were from Iran, four from Afghanistan and two from Iraq. Their ages ranged between five and 44.

No fresh air or light in container

German police said there was neither fresh air nor light in the container where the migrants were hiding. Those who were discovered complained of “hunger, thirst and a need to go to the toilet,” reported Die Zeit.

The police said they took the migrants to a nearby reception center in the town of Eisenhüttenstadt and the two unaccompanied teenagers were taken in charge by Germany’s youth authorities, Jugendamts.

According to dpa, the 32-year-old driver of the lorry, a Lithuanian national, was taken into custody for questioning.

With dpa