Vow to hunt ‘evil’ people smugglers
POLICE investigating the deaths of 39 people found in a refrigerated truck on an industrial estate in Essex have described the incident as an “absolute tragedy”.
The Prime Minister said the perpetrators of the crime “should be hunted down and brought to justice” as police began the task of identifying the victims, including a teenager, discovered at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays early yesterday.
Police said the lorry driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The lorry is from Bulgaria and is believed to have travelled from Zeebrugge into Purfleet, Essex, and docked in the Thurrock area. The tractor unit is believed to have originated in Northern Ireland.
Police have said tracking the route of the lorry “will be a key line of inquiry” amid concerns it may have made its way to the British mainland unchecked by avoiding Calais and Dover, which have more stringent monitoring of people smuggling.
Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price said the people smugglers responsible must be caught. She told the House of Commons: “To put 39 people into a locked metal container shows a contempt for human life that is evil.
“The best thing we can do in memory of those victims is to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”
Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, said the container appeared to be a refrigerated unit, where temperatures can be as low as -25C – and described conditions for anyone inside as “absolutely horrendous”.
Police have set up a casualty bureau for anyone to call if they have concerns about relatives who may be involved.
Aerial footage from the scene shows forensic officers walking in and out of the lorry which is parked on Eastern Avenue opposite Pirtek and Hydraquip. Two tents have been erected – one in front of the lorry and one behind it, with police vehicles on either side.
Police have taped off the area as they investigate.
People who work on the industrial estate spoke of their shock.
Dan Peters, managing director of Pirtek, a hydraulic maintenance company, said: “We’re not able to gain access to our units to open up for daily business. Obviously, it’s terrible news.”
Mr Peters said the industrial estate is made up of courier and logistics firms.
In response to the incident, Home Secretary Priti Patel has signalled she is willing to consider tougher sentences for human traffickers. Independent MP John Woodcock asked if Ms Patel would commit to reviewing the sentencing guidelines.
Ms Patel told MPs she was “very happy to discuss with the Ministry of Justice to see what more we can do”.
The discovery is not the worst of its kind in the UK.
The bodies of 58 Chinese people were found in a container at Dover, Kent in 2000.