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24/10/2019
NI Properties Searched As Suspect Detained Over Trailer Deaths
A Northern Ireland man arrested on suspicion of murder over the 39 trailer deaths in Essex remains in custody, police have said.
Three properties in Co Armagh have been searched in connection with the investigation. Police have refused to speculate on the suspect's identity.
All of the 39 bodies discovered have been confirmed as those of Chinese nationals, with 31 men and eight women, one of whom was previously reported as being a teenager.
The bodies were found in a lorry container in Grays on Wednesday morning, 23 October. Enquiries so far have confirmed that it entered the country via Holyhead on Sunday 20 October, having travelled over from Dublin.
The lorry then collected the trailer, which had travelled from Zeebrugge, at the port of Purfleet at around 12:30am on the 23 October. The cab and trailer left the port shortly after 1.05am. Police were tasked to the scene by the ambulance service some 35 minutes later.
The lorry has since been removed from Waterglade Industrial Park to preserve the dignity of those within the trailer as police prepare for a post-mortem examination. Each of the 39 people must undergo a full coroner's process to establish a cause of death, before detectives move on to attempting to identify each individual.
A spokesperson for Essex police said: "This will be a substantial operation and, at this stage, we cannot estimate how long these procedures will take.
"We would also like to thank all of our local and national partners for their assistance and support…We will continue to work with partners and other law enforcement agencies to establish exactly how these 39 people lost their lives in such an untimely way.
"This process will be complex and lengthy, as well as incredibly challenging for all those involved, but we will not stop until we get answers for the loved ones of those who have sadly died."
The PSNI has confirmed it is supporting Essex Police in its investigation.
(JG/CM)
Three properties in Co Armagh have been searched in connection with the investigation. Police have refused to speculate on the suspect's identity.
All of the 39 bodies discovered have been confirmed as those of Chinese nationals, with 31 men and eight women, one of whom was previously reported as being a teenager.
The bodies were found in a lorry container in Grays on Wednesday morning, 23 October. Enquiries so far have confirmed that it entered the country via Holyhead on Sunday 20 October, having travelled over from Dublin.
The lorry then collected the trailer, which had travelled from Zeebrugge, at the port of Purfleet at around 12:30am on the 23 October. The cab and trailer left the port shortly after 1.05am. Police were tasked to the scene by the ambulance service some 35 minutes later.
The lorry has since been removed from Waterglade Industrial Park to preserve the dignity of those within the trailer as police prepare for a post-mortem examination. Each of the 39 people must undergo a full coroner's process to establish a cause of death, before detectives move on to attempting to identify each individual.
A spokesperson for Essex police said: "This will be a substantial operation and, at this stage, we cannot estimate how long these procedures will take.
"We would also like to thank all of our local and national partners for their assistance and support…We will continue to work with partners and other law enforcement agencies to establish exactly how these 39 people lost their lives in such an untimely way.
"This process will be complex and lengthy, as well as incredibly challenging for all those involved, but we will not stop until we get answers for the loved ones of those who have sadly died."
The PSNI has confirmed it is supporting Essex Police in its investigation.
(JG/CM)
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