Frenchman packs Russian wife in suitcase

A Frenchman tried to smuggle his Russian wife into the European Union by hiding her in a massive suitcase, without realising there had been no need for the would-be James Bond scheme.

Poland's border guards detained the man, who authorities said was in his 60s, on Friday at the railway station in Terespol, an eastern town on the border with Belarus.

The size of the man's suitcase drew the attention of the officers, border guard spokesman Dariusz Sienicki said AFP news agency Monday.

"To their surprise, a woman in her 30s emerged. It was the Russian wife of the owner of the suitcase," he told AFP.

"She was alive and well and didn't require medical attention."

Risking three years in jail

There was no need for hiding, however, because even people without European Union citizenship are allowed to enter the passport-free Schengen zone if they can prove they are married to an EU citizen.

"Had she been sitting next to her husband, she would have made it through without incident," Sienicki said.

Instead, the couple had risked "a three-year jail sentence because of their attempt to evade border control," he added.

 "This was the first time I've seen someone travel like this. She very well could have been a victim of human trafficking."

The couple was released after questioning and decided to go back to Belarus.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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