Boy, 12, rescued from car dashboard after smuggling attempt

SPANISH police have discovered a 12-year-old boy hidden inside a car dashboard.

The child was suffering with numb limbs and breathing difficulties after being crammed into the tiny space, to cross the Moroccan border into Spain.

Reportedly, he is from Guinea, West Africa – though he has no official documentation – and has been given treatment in a centre in Purisima.

The 65-year-old driver, thought to be Moroccan, was arrested by the Guardia Civil after a heartbeat sensor detected the boy in Melilla, Morocco.

Melilla is controlled by Spanish authorities. 

Guardia Civil #Melilla detiene a un traficante de personas que llevaba a un niño de doce años encerrado en el salpicadero del cochehttps://t.co/w2hOkXaZpg

pic.twitter.com/RpxcLKzaR8

— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) December 10, 2017

Police then began an intrusive search of the BMW X5, and ripped into the dashboard to find the child, who is reportedly from Guinea, West Africa.

People smuggling is a prominent issue in Spain, with 5, 695 people being released from slavery between 2012 and 2016, according to the Interior Ministry. 

A Guardia Civil spokesperson said: “He was asked to open his boot but nothing was found.

“When a heartbeat sensor was passed over the car, officers became suspicious. When officers detected the heartbeat, they took the expensive car to pieces.”