British Police Find 39 Dead in Truck

Police found the truck in Grays, Essex, a town on the River Thames (Wikimedia Commons)

39 people were found dead in the refrigerated trailer of a truck in Essex county in southeast England on October 23, according to the BBC. Ambulance staff discovered the bodies of 38 adults and one teenager in the early morning. 

The cause of death has not yet been determined. Police are conducting a murder investigation and have arrested the 25-year-old Northern Irish driver of the truck, Maurice “Mo“ Robinson, on suspicion of causing the deaths of the 31 men and 8 women.

Robinson has been charged with manslaughter as well as people trafficking and assisting unlawful immigration, according to the Guardian. Four more people have been arrested in the investigation so far.

Although police at first believed the victims were all Chinese nationals, a later police update cautioned that they are not yet certain of the victims’ nationalities. Police also said that some of the victims may have been from Vietnam, according to Reuters.

Both the Chinese and Vietnamese embassy in London are working closely with the British police to ascertain the identities of the victims, the South China Morning Post reports. 

The truck was initially believed to have entered the U.K. at a port in Holyhead in northern Wales from Bulgaria on October 19. However, according to CBS News, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said that the vehicle has not returned to the country since 2017.

British police now believe that the trailer entered the country from the port of Purfleet, north of Essex on the River Thames, and came from Zeebrugge, Belgium. The police believe that the trailer carried by the truck is from Ireland and traveled to Belgium, according to BBC. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “appalled by this tragic incident,” according to CBS News.  

Robinson comes from the village of Laurelvale in County Armagh in Northern Ireland, according to BBC.

The British National Crime Agency had previously released a statement on October 21 that five men were arrested in southern England after 13 migrants were discovered in a truck in a port at Calais, France. The National Crime Agency has not released any information suggesting the two events are connected, according to CBS News.

The British National Crime Agency is also investigating if this crime is connected to any larger crime organizations and potential connections with Ireland, according to Reuters.

Essex Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills commented that her top priority was “preserving the dignity of the 39 people who have died and ensuring that we get answers for their loved ones,” according to  BBC. 

A candlelight vigil was held outside the U.K. Home Office for the 39 deceased on October 24. Another vigil was held in Belfast in Northern Ireland, the Evening Standard reports.