A group of suspected illegal immigrants detained in Suffolk on Friday morning have been moved to the Oakington immigration centre in Cambridgeshire.Nine Indian nationals have been moved to the former army barracks while two people from Bangladesh are being moved to a long term detention centre elsewhere, said a spokesman for the Immigration Service.

A GROUP of suspected illegal immigrants detained in Suffolk have been moved to the Oakington immigration centre in Cambridgeshire.

Nine Indian nationals have been moved to the former army barracks while two people from Bangladesh are being moved to a long term detention centre elsewhere, said a spokesman for the Immigration Service.

He said all of them – men in their 20s and 30s - have claimed asylum and are having their claims processed by the Home Office.

If they are unsuccessful, they can appeal to an independent assessor. But if that appeal is unsuccessful they will then be removed, he said.

Immigration officials held 10 people at their offices in Harwich after a van was stopped on the A12 at Capel St Mary on Friday.

One Bangladeshi national, previously thought to be a "meeter and greeter", has now been included among those having their asylum claims looked at.

Four people appeared before Ipswich magistrates on Saturday accused of attempting to smuggle illegal immigrants into Britain.

Divender Singh, of Gravesend in Kent, French national Hussain Abid, 33, and Dutch nationals Johan Hoekstra, 25, and Ludwig Kwarten, 26, all appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates.

They are all charged with facilitating the entry of illegal aliens into the United Kingdom.

Singh was released on conditional bail until August 15, the other three were remanded in custody until July 18.

No pleas were taken at the preliminary hearing.

They were all held after the yacht Pim was towed into Shotley Marina early on Friday morning by the Aldeburgh lifeboat.