CaptainNancy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2019
- Messages
- 432
- Reaction score
- 2,376
Driver extradition trial hears lorry drivers paid up to €1,000 per trafficked migrant
“One of the lorry drivers involved in a suspected conspiracy to traffic human beings into the UK were allegedly being paid up to €1,000 per trafficked person, the High Court has heard....
....
Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Ronan Kennedy SC, told the High Court today that the case as alleged against Mr Harrison couldn't be "any clearer".
Mr Kennedy alleged that Mr Harrison was "integrally involved" in a conspiracy to traffic illegal Vietnamese immigrants into the UK since as early as 2018.
According to information provided by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service, Mr Kennedy told the court that Mr Harrison and another named individual were “recruited” to do this by another man. One of the drivers was being paid €1,000 per trafficked person and on one occasion was paid €20,000, Mr Kennedy said.
Mr Harrison was allegedly stopped on a previous occasion in May 2018 pulling a trailer containing 18 migrants, Mr Kennedy told the court.
Later that year, a trailer containing migrants was taken to a location where they were collected by cars described by witnesses as a “fleet of Mercedes” cars, according to Mr Kennedy.
In another incident, following the collection of illegal migrants from a trailer by cars, there was an “operation” to clean the trailer before delivery of the consignment’s legitimate load. Mr Kennedy said the intended recipients of the legitimate consignment refused to accept the load due to signs that human beings had been in the trailer.
In relation to the 39 migrants found dead in Essex, in October, Mr Harrison and his alleged coconspirators “knew they were in the trailer”, Mr Kennedy contended. The had been locked into a sealed container and were left unaccompanied for nine hours on a sea crossing that resulted in their unfortunate deaths.
Mr Harrison drove the truck that pulled the trailer, and booked it in, Mr Kennedy said. Shortly after the arrest of Mr Harrison’s coconspirators, there was telephone contact between Mr Harrison and another individual.
Mr Harrison did not immediately return to Ireland, Mr Kennedy said, and he did not contact law enforcement agents despite the fact he had transported the trailer in which the bodies of 39 people were found.....
.....
On Thursday, Mr Harrison’s lawyers said there was an issue in relation to territoriality and it was unclear whether Mr Harrison is to be prosecuted for offences committed inside the UK or in Belgium.
His barrister, Siobhán Stack SC, said it was not alleged that Mr Harrison placed the deceased into the trailer. It was not alleged that Mr Harrison knew the people were in the trailer nor that there were 39 of them.
It was simply alleged that Mr Harrison transported the trailer but there was nothing to say where the people were collected, who collected them or who put them in the trailer, she added.
There were too many "critical missing facts" and the High Court was being asked to fill in too many blanks, she submitted.”
I would say to Siobhán Stack that it is precisely because no one knows where the people were collected etc that the police need to interview EH. And that EH would be potentially able to fill in some ‘critical missing facts’. If only she was not so busy dredging up technicalities.
Though I do know that the law depends in due process.
Since EH returned to Ireland on foot, and was arrested on foot, what happened to the blue cab that he was driving?
ETA: the blue cab was seized by police in Dublin. I am curious that so many report that EH was arrested ‘on foot’.
“One of the lorry drivers involved in a suspected conspiracy to traffic human beings into the UK were allegedly being paid up to €1,000 per trafficked person, the High Court has heard....
....
Counsel for the Minister for Justice, Ronan Kennedy SC, told the High Court today that the case as alleged against Mr Harrison couldn't be "any clearer".
Mr Kennedy alleged that Mr Harrison was "integrally involved" in a conspiracy to traffic illegal Vietnamese immigrants into the UK since as early as 2018.
According to information provided by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service, Mr Kennedy told the court that Mr Harrison and another named individual were “recruited” to do this by another man. One of the drivers was being paid €1,000 per trafficked person and on one occasion was paid €20,000, Mr Kennedy said.
Mr Harrison was allegedly stopped on a previous occasion in May 2018 pulling a trailer containing 18 migrants, Mr Kennedy told the court.
Later that year, a trailer containing migrants was taken to a location where they were collected by cars described by witnesses as a “fleet of Mercedes” cars, according to Mr Kennedy.
In another incident, following the collection of illegal migrants from a trailer by cars, there was an “operation” to clean the trailer before delivery of the consignment’s legitimate load. Mr Kennedy said the intended recipients of the legitimate consignment refused to accept the load due to signs that human beings had been in the trailer.
In relation to the 39 migrants found dead in Essex, in October, Mr Harrison and his alleged coconspirators “knew they were in the trailer”, Mr Kennedy contended. The had been locked into a sealed container and were left unaccompanied for nine hours on a sea crossing that resulted in their unfortunate deaths.
Mr Harrison drove the truck that pulled the trailer, and booked it in, Mr Kennedy said. Shortly after the arrest of Mr Harrison’s coconspirators, there was telephone contact between Mr Harrison and another individual.
Mr Harrison did not immediately return to Ireland, Mr Kennedy said, and he did not contact law enforcement agents despite the fact he had transported the trailer in which the bodies of 39 people were found.....
.....
On Thursday, Mr Harrison’s lawyers said there was an issue in relation to territoriality and it was unclear whether Mr Harrison is to be prosecuted for offences committed inside the UK or in Belgium.
His barrister, Siobhán Stack SC, said it was not alleged that Mr Harrison placed the deceased into the trailer. It was not alleged that Mr Harrison knew the people were in the trailer nor that there were 39 of them.
It was simply alleged that Mr Harrison transported the trailer but there was nothing to say where the people were collected, who collected them or who put them in the trailer, she added.
There were too many "critical missing facts" and the High Court was being asked to fill in too many blanks, she submitted.”
I would say to Siobhán Stack that it is precisely because no one knows where the people were collected etc that the police need to interview EH. And that EH would be potentially able to fill in some ‘critical missing facts’. If only she was not so busy dredging up technicalities.
Though I do know that the law depends in due process.
Since EH returned to Ireland on foot, and was arrested on foot, what happened to the blue cab that he was driving?
ETA: the blue cab was seized by police in Dublin. I am curious that so many report that EH was arrested ‘on foot’.
Last edited:
