"We are working with Thurrock Council to mitigate against any impact our investigation scene will have locally.". [78] Prosecutors are considering charges against a further three people. The victims had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof but only managed to dent the interior. [48], On 4 March 2020, a man from Essex was charged with an immigration offence related to the deaths. On the morning of October 23, 2019, the bodies of 39 Vietnamese men, women and children were discovered dead in the back of a lorry in Grays, Essex. On 23 October 2019 we were called to a scene that no officer could ever have prepared for. There they found the 39 migrants dead in the back of a refrigerated . "There were desperate attempts to contact the outside world by phone and to break through the roof of the container," the judge said. [4], The investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, a Senior Investigating Officer within the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate. Essex lorry deaths: Trafficking ringleader jailed for 15 years after 39 died from suffocation and hyperthermia Eight women and 31 men were sealed inside the vehicle for at least 12 hours as . [42] A Belgian public prosecutor said that this was the lorry driver they had been searching for, who had been seen on CCTV ten times at Zeebrugge while dropping off the refrigerated trailer. Pham Thi Tra My, a 26-year-old woman from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Dinh Luong, a 20-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Phong, a 35-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Nhan Du, a 19-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Manh Hung, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Tran Khanh Tho, a 18-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Vo Van Linh, a 25-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Van Nhan, a 33-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Bui Phan Thang, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh, Nguyen Huy Hung, a 15-year-old boy from Ha Tinh, Tran Thi Tho, a 21-year-old woman from Nghe An, Bui Thi Nhung, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Vo Ngoc Nam, a 28-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Dinh Tu, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Van Ha, a 30-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Ngoc, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hung, a 33-year-old man from Nghe An, Hoang Van Tiep, a 18-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Tien Dung, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Cao Huy Thanh, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An, Tran Thi Mai Nhung, a 18-year-old woman from Nghe An, Nguyen Minh Quang, a 20-year-old man from Nghe An, Le Ngoc Thanh, a 44-year-old man from Dien Chau, Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, a 28-year-old woman from Nghe An, Hoang Van Hoi, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Tho Tuan, a 25-year-old man from Nghe An, Dang Huu Tuyen, a 22-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Trong Thai, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Van Hiep, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An, Nguyen Thi Van, a 35-year-old woman from Nghe An, Tran Hai Loc, a 35-year-old man from Nghe An, Duong Minh Tuan, a 27-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Ngoc Ha, a 32-year-old man from Quang Binh, Nguyen Tien Dung, a 33-year-old man from Quang, Binh, Phan Thi Thanh, a 41-year-old woman from Hai Phong, Nguyen Ba Vu Hung, a 34-year-old man from Thua Thien-Hue, Dinh Dinh Thai Quyen, a 18-year-old man from Hai Phong, Tran Ngoc Hieu, a 17-year-old boy from Hai Duong, Dinh Dinh Binh, a 15-year-old boy from Hai Phong. Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailer 22 January 2021 Essex lorry deaths The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between. [5] In the evening of 23 October, the Belgian prosecutor's office announced that they would also investigate the lorry's transit through their country. While the county came to terms with the tragedy on our doorstep, Essex Police launched the largest investigation in its history to bring down members of the international smuggling operation responsible for their deaths. [82], UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet that he was "appalled" at the incident, giving his thoughts to the victims and their families, adding that the Home Office was working alongside Essex Police on the case. They were both 35. ", Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK. Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, of Essex Police, said: "They are callous and they are dangerous and they are out to exploit these people. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. Lorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, of County Armagh, and van driver Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, were also convicted of being part of the people-smuggling plot. A 25-year-old lorry driver from Northern Ireland has been arrested, Essex Police says. What she was seeing was a people-smuggling operation run by the same gang responsible for the 39 deaths. [75] On 8 April 2021, his extradition was approved. It came to light that the 31 men and eight women - including a 15-year-old child - had died in sweltering temperatures in the lorry's sealed container as they were shipped from Zeebrugge to Purfleet. [91], In an editorial headlined, "The UK must bear responsibility," the Global Times, a state-run newspaper, said that the responsibility for the deaths lay with Britain and other European countries. Three others members of the people-smuggling gang were also sentenced for conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration. "My message to you is that we will find you and we will stop you.". He got out of the cab, went to the rear of the trailer and opened the doors. They had all paid huge sums of money to reach Britain in search of a better life - paying up to 13,000 each. "[53], On 17 April 2020, a 42-year-old man from Tottenham was charged with an immigration offence related to the deaths. The risks taken by the crime group responsible for the deaths of 39 migrants found in a lorry container in Essex were 'sadly not unusual', a senior Immigration Enforcement official has said. [73][74], In January 2021, an extradition hearing was held at Westminster Magistrates' Court for a Vietnamese man, said to be aged 18, who appeared via videolink from HM Prison Wandsworth accused of transporting 10 of the 39 from a safehouse in Anderlecht. [84] Diane Abbott, Shadow Home Secretary, said greater international co-operation was needed to prevent similar events happening again. [19][20], Initially the police said the deceased were all Chinese nationals and the Chinese embassy in London sent officials to assist with identification. [29][30], The lorry and bodies were moved from the scene to a secure location in Tilbury Docks, another nearby port on the Thames, to continue the investigation. [1][2] The refrigerated trailer was leased on 15 October from a rental company in County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Ms Andrews described ringing police again after seeing the news of the 39 deaths on social media. It then travelled through the Republic of Ireland to Dublin, and from there by sea to Holyhead in Wales, from where it was driven to Purfleet. A week later, she saw the same red-cabbed lorry in front of her home, near the village golf club, during yet another smuggling run. Antnio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, tweeted that those responsible "must be swiftly brought to justice". Essex lorry deaths: The supposed 'VIP' journey that killed 39 people 21 December 2020 Essex lorry deaths Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, 28, from Nghe An, wrote a text message that was never sent By. I am sorry. [69] The fact that many locations were mentioned in the warrant did not mean that the offences were extraterritorial and the accused was in the UK and had acted to further an act of conspiracy that underpinned the charges of manslaughter. [60], On 17 March 2021 a 23-year-old haulier from Caledon, County Tyrone was charged with conspiracy to assist illegal immigration in connection with the deaths. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to be among the dead after her family received a haunting series of text messages. The victims were 28 men, eight women and three children, two of them aged 15. [4] Following the incident, the Chief Executive of the charity group Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said that the British government needs to open safe routes and make quick decisions regarding asylum seekers to prevent such attempts, sentiments echoed by the Refugee and Migrant Rights Director of Amnesty International UK. Nica flew out of the country the next day. Det Ch Insp Stoten said: "This crime group have been stopped on many, many, occasions in Europe and the UK - and they continued. He waited for 15 minutes and then dialled 999, telling the operator: "There's immigrants in the back. While Hughes admitted manslaughter, both Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury. "He told me that he would only go on a 'VIP package', in a private car," she said. Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailer 22 January 2021 Essex lorry deaths The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea. After his brief drive around Grays, Robinson again parked up at the industrial estate. This became Witness X who shared his fears and referred to the smugglers as "the mafia" - a testimony that revealed the drivers had known about their passengers. [8] Belgian officials said the people were trapped in the trailer for at least 10 hours. They had been working legally as fruit pickers in Hungary when they phoned their families in Vietnam to tell them there had been a change in plan and they would soon be travelling to the UK. These are the first photographs of the lorry where 39 bodies were discovered today. While the migrants were detained by the French authorities, the driver Christopher Kennedy was allowed to continue on his way to Kent. [56] His solicitor applied for bail and the prosecution opposed it. Maurice Robinson, of Laurel Drive in Craigavon, Nothern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder shortly after the bodies were found at the Waterglade Industrial Estate. They had been promised safe passage to our shores and they were lied to. "I am receiving regular updates from the Home Office & will work closely with Essex Police as we establish exactly what has happened. ", Cousins Hoang Van Tiep (left), 18, and Nguyen Van Hung, 33, died together in the container, Both Maurice Robinson (left) and Ronan Hughes admitted 39 counts of manslaughter in connection with the case, After receiving this message from his boss, Robinson got out of his cab, opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies, Gheorghe Nica, Eamonn Harrison and Christopher Kennedy were all part of the people-smuggling conspiracy, Ronan Hughes (left) was captured on CCTV meeting Gheorghe Nica at a hotel, Twelve days before 39 people were found dead in the back of a lorry, the same cab was seen repeatedly in a country lane in Orsett, Essex, This is the moment Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV, A relative paid tribute to Bui Thi Nhung as families mourned the deaths of the 39 people. [69] Counsel for the defence argued that many of the alleged offences occurred outside the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom and that the extradition warrant was unclear about whether the United Kingdom was asserting that the alleged offences occurred in UK jurisdiction or were extraterritorial. Exactly two years ago, Essex was dealt one of the worst tragedies it's ever seen. Essex crime: Rayleigh mum and son jailed for collective ten years for wanting to sell 750,000 of cocaine Crime Bookmark Person tries to chase driver fleeing scene of Romford lamppost crash - but falls over and is taken to hospital Romford Bookmark Boy, aged 15, charged after teen found with stabbed leg and knife recovered near Barking tube station The trial exposed for the first time a complex and lucrative operation which has for years illegally brought Vietnamese people into the UK. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? Harrison, of Newry, County Down, claimed he did not know there were people in the trailer when he towed it to the Belgian port, and that he watched "a wee bit of Netflix" in bed as they were loaded on. Read more: Breaking news and updates on Essex crime. [88] The first part was broadcast on 4 November after re-editing in the light of the 39 deaths, despite the Home Office describing the timing as "both insensitive and irresponsible". [11] The police suspect that an Irish people-smuggling ring which has been under investigation for around a year might be involved. Among those killed was a married couple - Tran Hai Loc and Nguyen Thi Van. They are believed to have been either victims of human trafficking (for example, as forced labourers), migrants who paid smugglers to move them to the United Kingdom, or both. In a tweet published shortly before 10.30am Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Im appalled by this tragic incident in Essex. Every person in that trailer had left behind a family. What led to her and 38 fellow Vietnamese nationals dying in the dark and sweltering heat of an airtight container? His barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was "horrified by what he saw". He waited 20 minutes before calling emergency services. Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten, who led the investigation, described how one single fingerprint found in another one of Hughes' lorries was "gold dust", leading to another man who made the same journey a week before. He was accused of "conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person". This was when the victims were still believed to be of Chinese origin. We were struggling to give our children a proper education. "It was a bit of a shock but we're not 100 per cent sure of what's happened.". Families were worried they could still be left in debt, despite over 84,000 having been raised to help them. Following a 10-week trial in 2020, Northern Irish lorry driver Eamonn Harrison was found guilty of 39 counts of manslaughter, while Romanian organiser Gheorghe Nica was convicted of the same charges. [51] On 16 March 2020, a man from Birmingham was charged with an immigration offence related to the incident. In the BBC documentary Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers, it shared some of the devastating testimonies from the victims' families. Matthew Long, deputy director of National Crime Agency, said the whole idea of some kind of special service was a con. Later, before the trailer was loaded on to a ferry, the driver had opened the doors and told them to "keep quiet all the time" and stand in the middle of the trailer and hold on to each other. Police release CCTV of missing Essex man not seen for month, Great Oaks, Basildon, closed by police after incident, Clacton Railway Club to host memorial darts tournament, Southend and District Badminton Association week 11, Street light switch-off plan not safe and not sensible, Basildon Eastgate sees worker suffer 'serious injuries' in fall, Ukrainian ministers killed in helicopter crash, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged. Thurrock deaths: Aerial footage of lorry container in Essex where 39 bodies have been found. He was immediately released having already served his sentence in custody. Nica claimed he told Robinson not to move the trailer and to call 999. Speaking previously, Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner, of Essex Police, said: "This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives. [79], On 22 January 2021 the culprits were jailed for the incident. [38] After extended questioning, on 26 October Essex Police charged the driver they had arrested with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering. Twelve days before 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in the container, Marie Andrews was at her mobile home in Orsett, a village about four miles (6km) from Grays. Something went wrong, please try again later. Many of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK. Sign up to the EssexLive newsletter below for the latest news straight to your inbox: If you're looking for a way to stay up-to-date with the latest breaking news from around Essex, the EssexLive newsletter is a good place to start. There's approximately 25. Valentin Calota, 38, a pickup driver from Romania, who collected migrants from the lorry drop-off spot in Essex and drove them to London during an earlier consignment, was sentenced to four and a half years. "He said he would not go in a container lorry and that it needed to be safe, even though the truck option was a lot cheaper.". He always dreamed of going to the UK and he tried very hard to study at school as well as learning English for that purpose. [71][72] Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, of Tilbury, and Gazmir Nuzi, of Tottenham, also pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration in June and September 2020 respectively. It was a discovery that would hurl Essex into the international spotlight as police, press and forensics descended on the industrial estate that had become the scene of a devastating mass grave. The industrial estate commission of a shock but we 're not 100 per sure... 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