Border Officers Stop SUSPICIOUS Family | Border Interceptors

In the world today, protecting a country's borders is vital. It is seen as a gateway to the UK. These are the men and women in uniform responsible for safeguarding Ireland's borders. Stopping. Look at me, behind the yellow line. Searching. Have you been stopped at a checkpoint before? Are you just listening to me? Are you just listening to me? And seizing. Drugs, arms and illegal goods. If anyone tries to harm me, that dog will tear them to shreds. Saving lives. I'd say about 200 kilometres per hour. And protecting Ireland's inhabitants and millions of visiting tourists. You could have been here a hundred times. It doesn't mean that you're guaranteed to get in the hundred and first time. No point actually. They police the ports. You have to make sure that definitely nobody underneath the vehicle. The airports. Why did you tell me you weren't working? And the roads. These are very badly damaged straps. If you can't drive the truck, you shouldn't be on the road. These are the border interceptors. Coming up, border forces keep a watchful eye as families travel through the airport. Who are you traveling with, Michael? Is that your dad, is it? Dublin port security have their hands full across the site. Watch it down, Talita watch it down. And driving on his mobile phone is only the start of this driver's bad day. I'm on my way with a phone up here, it's not exactly safe, I'll go drive it. As Europe's most westerly airport, Shannon handles an increasing number of transatlantic flights. With increased arrivals from outside Europe, comes increased scrutiny of passengers by officers on passports and immigration. Officer Dara Molloy checks that passports and paperwork are in order before allowing anyone into Ireland. As well as keeping the border secure, Officer Molloy is also tasked with keeping passengers safe. And that particularly includes children. Hello! It's estimated that 1.2 million children around the world are illegally trafficked every year. Trafficking does happen. It happens all over the world for different reasons. Hopefully we're trying to prevent it here, but it does happen. Child trafficking does happen. Immigration staff are constantly on the lookout for unusual activity, signs of threat, coercion, abduction, or abuse of power to transport people across the borders. We would be able to draw from our experience to make sure the child is happy with the person they're travelling with, whether it be a parent or a guardian. And who are you travelling with today? Ron. Can you please... He's your own, isn't he? Right. Thank you. Thanks ever so much, thank you, goodbye. With the correct ID, the family are waved through. Hello, sir. Is that your dad, is it? Yes, I'm over here. That's just a passport, just to make sure that they know the match-up. It's just security to make sure that the kids are, you know, are with the parents. That's lovely. Thanks very much. Another family arrive at Detective Garda Seamus McMahon's desk. But there's a problem. Is there just two passports, sir? It seems the family were led to believe they didn't need passports for the children to travel to Ireland. They do here, ma'am. They're travelling with an adult and they're under 16. Through Irish immigration? Just a flight from Britain to Ireland. It's on the Aer Lingus website. Officer McMahon, happy that the family is all together, allows them through. We don't have a website, ma'am, but I think it's a given that you produce your passport in any country that you go to. It does say that. Thanks very much. Thank you. They were accompanied by two children. She handed two passports in to me, but she never produced passports for the children. She seemed to have an issue with that. You do need to produce your passport. That was the only way I could verify that they were all travelling together and they were actually children of that couple. In his booth, Officer Molloy is confronted by an unaccompanied boy. And who are you travelling with today? With Bridget's dad. Okay. Come here. Are you sure he's there, is he? Okay, will you take a seat over there for two seconds until he comes up to you, is that okay? No, that's lovely, thank you. While he checks other arrivals, Officer Molloy keeps a close eye on the boy. Can you see him? Until his father finally arrives at the desk. Oh, you're the dad here. Good to see you. You got ahead of you. I was just to make sure he was with an adult, you get me. Mind your own business, take care now. And Officer Molloy can safely let the boy carry on with his journey. Running 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year, activity around the 600-acre site of Dublin Port never stops. It means Port Security have got their work cut out protecting it, keeping everything moving, people safe, and ensuring this vital border entry point into Ireland is secure. You'd have a lot of traffic in and out, so much happening, so busy. There's people everywhere, there's traffic everywhere, there's movement everywhere. It's a big job. Officer Dermot Weldon is on patrol checking for everything, from stowaways to suspect vehicles. As well as ground patrols, the Port Security team have a vast network of CCTV cameras. Back in the control room, Dermot is on the lookout for anything suspicious. Left hand side there, hammer 20 foot. The officers have to be ready to deal with any incident, night or day. A truck parked up overnight in the port has caught fire. Following emergency incident protocols, the team raise the alarm and secure the area. It allows the fire service to quickly get the blaze under control, limiting its spread and potentially saving lives, and avoiding thousands of pounds worth of damage. The size of Dublin Port also makes it a tempting location for criminals intent on illegal activity, with opportunists looking for any advantage. But their appearance on the port's CCTV means they won't be getting away with it. Used in conjunction with the security teams on the ground, the CCTV puts the criminals on the back foot. From illegal immigrants trying to break into the country, tracking stolen or wanted vehicles, or simply in hot pursuit. Hello Port Operations, how may I help you? Back in the control room, security officer Weldon has spotted something suspicious. He's concerned about an illegally parked lorry. On the ground, security officer Paddy Rooney is sent to investigate. Control to Alpha Three I know it's that gate Paddy because he rang before. A stationary truck on site could be entirely innocent, but it could also be a sign that something is wrong. I'm just going to wake this fella up, okay? So I'll be down here and put the camera on, okay? This driver is about to get a wake-up call. Port security style. Good morning. How are you this morning? Tired. Quizzing the driver, Paddy explains that he's parked his truck in a no-parking area of the port. It is a restricted area down here, and like I said, there is markings on the road. We could have easily put a clamp on you and waited until you got up and charged 80 euros, but unfortunately I'm in good humour here today because I'm going on holidays here along here. Drivers are required by law to take proper rest breaks before they can start driving again. So how many hours rest do you want? I'm going to give you an extra hour anyway to get yourself sorted, so a quarter past eleven. OK, so I'll give you about an hour or so, OK? Yeah, very good, OK? Have a good day, OK? Thank you. Understanding of the situation, Officer Rooney gives him time to get himself sorted. We don't mind them actually parking around the areas, but we normally would like to see them out here by lunchtime, so his tachograph is up at another half an hour or whatever, and so I gave him a full hour to get himself sorted. Elsewhere in the port, security have received reports of horses grazing on the side of the road. While the control room monitors the situation, security officer Rooney heads to investigate. Oh, we have two of them. Good man indeed. What you doing? The horses pose a security risk to passengers and the many vehicles that use the port daily. And they're trespassing on private property. It's officer Rooney's job to move the two men and their horses on as quickly as possible. With the horses sent packing, it's now just a matter of Officer Rooney checking where he makes his next step. It's estimated that 30,000 people cross the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland every day. Policing the M1 motorway, one of the busiest routes between the two countries, are Traffic Corps officers Paddy McElroy and Phil Earle. Driving an unmarked car, they're watching for suspicious and illegal activity. 120 kilometer zone. Flashing their lights and pulling him over. Get the other jackets on. Officer McElroy is about to ruin this driver's day. I'm on my way with a phone up to your face, it's not exactly safe. Not good driving. The guy is already looking at an automatic fixed penalty fine. Seize it, driver's licence. Officer McElroy wants to see some ID. The officer's car is also fitted with an ANPR scanner, allowing them to immediately perform background checks on vehicles. No ID on him whatsoever. The ANPR has pinged through a result and Officer Earle has some further bad news for the driver. Insurance is out, tax is out. With no insurance or tax, the vehicle will now get seized. We requested a tow truck to come to the scene. This vehicle is going to be seized under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act. The driver, of which he has no documentation with him, it appears that he has refused to give details. Officer McElroy isn't done though with this driver. Suspicious that he won't give them anything other than a name, the officers call it in. Control, can we get a person check when you have a chance? For the moment, this driver is going nowhere. Things could be about to get a lot worse. More than 20,000 foreign students travel to Ireland to study every year, many of them arriving at the country's largest airport in Dublin. With student visas being one way illegal immigrants enter a country before disappearing, passport and immigration officers need to make sure students are coming into Ireland for the right reasons. In order to prove they're in Ireland to study, Students are required to have a letter of invitation from the college or university they're going to be studying at. A flight from the US has just landed, and a male student has arrived at Officer Mick Lally's booth. Before Officer Lally lets the student into Ireland, he'll need to see the relevant ID and paperwork. But there's a problem. Did they not explain to you you're required a letter of introduction here, no? Do you have any documentation from the school at all, no? They're email saying... Do you have anything printed out? I don't have anything. With no printed documents, there's no way of Officer Lally confirming the student's story, which means he's going nowhere. The young man desperately tries to find email confirmation from the college. The only problem is that he can't get a phone connection. And why are you here? I had a trip through the school. A Maymester. In another booth, Officer Ray Flannery is also having issues with a newly arrived student. Do you have a letter from the college? You should have. Because I have no proof as to why you're here. A lack of the correct paperwork means this student is also going nowhere. Did I get a professor? Yeah. She calls over her teacher to see if there's anything they can do. Generally a student group will have a letter from the college they're coming to explaining why they're here, length of time, etc. Of course they're going to study and they'll have a list of the students. Do you have any documents in the school that you're coming to study? Student with no documentation. I have no proof. They could be here for any reason. It's organised through Franklin Pierce and UCD. Right, talk to somebody in UCD. You should have a letter from UCD saying that you're coming here to study. For a period of, and the amount of students. Back at Officer Lally's booth and mobile phone connection, or lack of it, is still causing a hold-up. What course are you doing here? What's that? What will you be studying? I'm studying physics. You're not using the Wi-Fi, no? It's in 3G, so you're not on the Wi-Fi at all. And you're a physics student? Yeah. Open up which letter I need there. Eventually the man finds the email and shows it to Officer Lally. And the last sentence is, you're recommended to retain a copy of this letter with you. Excellent. For immigration purposes. Having given the students a mild ticking off and a reminder to next time read the travel details, Officer Lally stamps the student's passport and lets him through. He's a physics student, I don't think he would be up to date with technology but you could clearly see it from the top of the phone, he hadn't got the Wi-Fi. Insignia on it, so we got it sorted in the end anyway, Student two At Officer Flannery's booth, having explained how things are supposed to work, the officer uses his discretion and allows the student to enter Ireland. You're part of the study group and we explained to them procedures going forward, what they need to do and they will talk to the relevant colleges and hopefully next time that will be sorted. Patrolling the busy M1 motorway that connects Southern Ireland with Northern Ireland, Traffic officers Paddy McAlroy and Phil Earle I've pulled over a driver for being on his mobile phone. Insurance is out. Tax is out. And having found out the vehicle isn't taxed or insured, they've seized it. I need to seize the driver's license. But unable to verify his identity, the white van man has to wait as the officers call in for a check on him. Control, can we get a person check when you have a chance? Roger that. Just a tourist address we have on the system from an alias that he uses. Doesn't seem to be getting convicted much, but seems to be coming to the attention of Gardaí quite a bit. With the name appearing to be an alias, and the man suspected of possible criminal activity, it looks like he's going nowhere. I think I'll bring him back to verify who he is. The simple act of using his mobile phone while driving has just landed this driver in bigger trouble. Being arrested under Section 107 of the Road Traffic Act, what that means is I'm not happy with your identification or where you're living. So we're going to bring you back to a local Garda station and we're going to verify who you are and that there's no outstanding issues or warrants. With his true identity still in doubt, it's not just his vehicle getting seized. He's Nick too, and it's a chauffeur-driven ride to the police station, further north on the M1 motorway, just south of the border with Northern Ireland in County Louth. A checkpoint has been set up for the Road Safety Association. Well, he'll take one anyway, so thanks. With its proximity to a border crossing point that is used by thousands of vehicles every day, it is the ideal spot for Road Safety Officer Jim Fleming to carry out spot checks on haulage vehicles. Morning, sir. How are you doing? I'm from the Road Safety Authority. Jim Fleming is my name. I just need to have a look at your recording equipment and your licence and documentation for the vehicle, please. Would you mind moving over and I'll hop in there and have a look at it? Haulage vehicles operating anywhere in the EU need an operator's license to carry goods. Carrying out unlicensed road transport operations can result in a fine of up to 500,000 euros and or three years in prison. You have your driving license and CPC and have you got the license for the truck or the operator's license? I operated as you know. And do you have a copy of the community authorization? It's an A4 page to be engaged in the carriage of goods in the European Union. Jim has pulled over a truck that is registered in Northern Ireland. To transport goods across the border, the operator needs a permit. And this driver doesn't have one. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll just take a few details from you. And it's a matter for the company. It's an obligation on the company to give to you. I feel so okay. The position at the moment, as far as I can make out so far with this driver, is that the out-of-state haulier. He's a Northern Ireland operator. To engage in the carriage of goods within the European Union, outside his own jurisdiction, they need to carry what's called a community authorisation. It's essentially a licence for international carriage and he doesn't have that. And more than likely the company will be summonsed for not having the correct documentation on board. In the meantime, I'm just going to have a quick look at his driver card to make sure that it's okay. It tells me he hasn't been driving in quite a while, so... From the driver's perspective, he's fine. It's just to do with the operator licensing question is the only problem we have here. Jim reads the driver his rights. You just have to caution that you're not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you do say, maybe take it down the road and give it an evidence. You understand that, yeah? Luckily for him, though, it's his employer, the operator of the vehicle, who is responsible for ensuring the correct paperwork is in place. They'll receive notice of summons to court. OK, good man. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you. Cheers now. Not having the required permit is not something Jim sees a lot of. I've encountered a couple, probably quite some time ago. Any vehicle I would have inspected in recent times, as in certainly in the last, certainly this year, I haven't come across any. As the truck pulls away, the police stop another vehicle for Jim to check over. Might I have a look at your tacho, please? Do you have a copy of the community authorization for the carriage of goods? I do not have one right now. Amazingly, this vehicle is in exactly the same situation, without the required permit in the truck. Again, Jim reads the driver his rights. You're not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so. Whatever you do say, maybe take it anyway and give an evidence. And another truck operator will be receiving a court summons for the infringement. But that's two in a row today, so just a bad day maybe.