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An African migrant was found hiding in the spare wheel well of a car in a desperate attempt to reach Spanish territory.
He was one of three migrants - aged 18 to 25 - who squeezed into hidden compartments as they tried to cross the Moroccan border into Melilla, a Spanish city in north Africa.
They were all critically ill when discovered by border police on Wednesday, the Spanish government said.
Stoaway: An African migrant was found curled up in the spare wheel well of a car as it tried to cross the Moroccan border into the Spanish enclave of Melilla
African migrants are taking increasingly measure to reach Europe and thousands have died making the voyage across the Mediterranean.
Only last week, a Moroccan man suffocated to death as he was smuggled to Spain inside a suit case which was stowed in the boot of a car.
One of the migrants, who wore a white vest and black shorts, was curled up into a small spare wheel well of the car.
The two others were found inside a false bottom constructed for the vehicle, photographs released by the Interior Ministry showed.
They could barely move - or breathe - due to the cramped conditions, extreme heat and exhaust gases. All of them recovered after they were given emergency treatment.
The three men - two from Guinea and one from Ivory Coast - were discovered by border police at a crossing between M orocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla.
Desperate: The man in the wheel well and his two companions were critically ill when they were discovered by police on Wednesday and needed immediate emergency treatment
They searched the car because it looked suspicious and eventually arrested the 39-year-old Spanish driver who is accused of 'crime against the rights of foreign citizens'.
While they failed to reach their desired destination, more than 200,000 African migrants have successfully crossed the Mediterranean into Europe this year
Financially struggling Greece has taken in around 134,000 migrants, the Geneva-based International Organisation For Migration (IOM) said Friday.
Italy had recorded 93,540 newcomers by the end of July and tens of thousands had crossed into Malta and Spain in 2015.
The IOM predicts that 250,000 migrants will have arrived in Europe by August. Only 219,000 made the risky crossing in the whole of 2014.
At least 2,300 people have died trying to make the journey.
Source: African migrant found curled up in spare wheel well of a car in desperate bid to make it into Spanish territory
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