3 vans stopped containing illegal immigrants (PhillyBurbs.com)

3 vans stopped containing illegal immigrants
Posted: Tuesday, March 29, 2011 12:00 am
By DAVID LEVINSKY Staff Writer

WESTAMPTON - Fourteen illegal immigrants were among 27 people crowded into three vans that were stopped in the township Sunday night, police said.

The first group of immigrants was discovered shortly after 11:18 p.m., when an officer noticed a suspicious van in the parking lot of the Home Depot and TGI Friday's restaurant on Route 541.

The van turned off its headlights when the officer approached. Further investigation revealed the van was occupied by many people, none of whom spoke English, police said.

Two other vans approached while the officer was attempting to interview the driver, but quickly left. They were stopped a short distance away by other police officers and also were found to contain multiple people, police said.

A total of 27 people were found in the three vans, including 14 who were determined to be in the country illegally, police said.

The driver of the first van, Rong Zeng He of Brooklyn, was not one of the illegal immigrants but was arrested on an outstanding traffic warrant and taken to Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, police said. His bail was not available Monday.

Police said the illegal immigrants were turned over to special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement for processing and transport to detention facilities.

Three of the illegal immigrants had unspecified warrants for their arrest, police said.

Additional details, including the immigrants' ages and nationalities, were not released.

A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said one of the illegal immigrants was being detained pending deportation proceedings. The spokesman did not know the status of the other 13 illegals.