UK - 39 bodies found in lorry container, Essex, 23 Oct 2019 #2

[CaptainNancy]

From Irish News Man facing extradition to UK over the deaths of 39 migrants in a lorry is warned of a threat to his life - Independent.ie

"This week a truck driver told the Sunday World newspaper how he was left stranded in France after refusing his haulage bosses' orders to smuggle a lorry load of desperate immigrants into Ireland.

The young, newly-qualified, driver claimed he was sent to Calais several weeks ago to pick up a container but, unknown to him, he was being set up by his Armagh bosses to become a people trafficker.

The driver, who is too afraid to be identified, said he was told that when he arrived at the port the lorry needed a part replaced and he would be met by a 'mechanic' who would carry out the repair.

"When we met he told me to go and grab a coffee and something to eat, he was quite insistent even though I told him I was all right. He was really keen for me to leave him to it, it was a set up," he told Sunday World.
"I went off to the café but realised I had left something behind in the cab so I went back. That's when I saw them all being loaded into the container, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I knew straight away that I was supposed to smuggle those people and that was never going to happen, I told the man that right away,"

The driver rang one of his bosses to report what was happening. However, he was shocked when he realised his bosses were behind the trafficking after they ordered him to take the load and offered him £20,000 for his cooperation.

When he refused the 'mechanic' then took the keys and told him to keep his mouth shut and make his own way home before driving off with the immigrants onboard.

"I was told to either do it and get paid or to off and make my own way back to Ireland. That's what I did. It was the best decision of my life, I would never have been able to live with myself if I was responsible for something like what happened last week in Essex."

The driver is unaware of the fate of the immigrants he almost carreed and says he did not report it to the authorities because he feared for his life."

"These are dangerous people, you don't grass them up. All I did was apply to an ad looking for lorry drivers and then the next thing I'm involved in a people-trafficking ring."

More smuggling resourced from Armagh.

I hope he is OK. That's a very identifying story to the haulage co that left him stranded.

 

[PS136]

I think maybe EH was arrested as he got off the ferry was that there was an outstanding arrest warrant for him .... different crimes alleged. Maybe at that time there was insufficient evidence to charge him with anything else.

I would argue that most ferry passengers and vehicles are subject to checks ... but there is a balance between forensic examination of each and every vehicle and maintaining a reasonable traffic flow.

Forensic examination initially is not required but simple scanner, X Ray and the C02 wands. If intelligence is in that there is contraband on the back of a loaded trailer it is pulled, taken aside and the load is removed, again it is re scanned along with empty trailer. This is protocol I am aware of with curtain siders. However there is some reluctance to break seals and open a running fridge trailer. Loads of perishables are often written off if it does occur due to possible contamination.

More needs to be done in our ports however travellers are never happy with hold ups especially at peak times with RORO. In freight ports most of the freight are on tight timelines especially perishable food goods. These hold ups have always been a problem for truckers many don’t mind the waits but it’s the clocks ticking away that can leave small owner drivers out of pocket with loss of the load and driving hour infringement etc

 

[PS136]

From Irish News Man facing extradition to UK over the deaths of 39 migrants in a lorry is warned of a threat to his life - Independent.ie

"This week a truck driver told the Sunday World newspaper how he was left stranded in France after refusing his haulage bosses' orders to smuggle a lorry load of desperate immigrants into Ireland.

The young, newly-qualified, driver claimed he was sent to Calais several weeks ago to pick up a container but, unknown to him, he was being set up by his Armagh bosses to become a people trafficker.

The driver, who is too afraid to be identified, said he was told that when he arrived at the port the lorry needed a part replaced and he would be met by a 'mechanic' who would carry out the repair.

"When we met he told me to go and grab a coffee and something to eat, he was quite insistent even though I told him I was all right. He was really keen for me to leave him to it, it was a set up," he told Sunday World.
"I went off to the café but realised I had left something behind in the cab so I went back. That's when I saw them all being loaded into the container, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I knew straight away that I was supposed to smuggle those people and that was never going to happen, I told the man that right away,"

The driver rang one of his bosses to report what was happening. However, he was shocked when he realised his bosses were behind the trafficking after they ordered him to take the load and offered him £20,000 for his cooperation.

When he refused the 'mechanic' then took the keys and told him to keep his mouth shut and make his own way home before driving off with the immigrants onboard.

"I was told to either do it and get paid or to **** off and make my own way back to Ireland. That's what I did. It was the best decision of my life, I would never have been able to live with myself if I was responsible for something like what happened last week in Essex."

The driver is unaware of the fate of the immigrants he almost carreed and says he did not report it to the authorities because he feared for his life."

"These are dangerous people, you don't grass them up. All I did was apply to an ad looking for lorry drivers and then the next thing I'm involved in a people-trafficking ring."

More smuggling resourced from Armagh.

I hope he is OK. That's a very identifying story to the haulage co that left him stranded.

Quite a coincidence between the above truckers experience and ‘mechanical work’ and the fact that a stop for the trailer in Essex was recorded via GPS in one article at a breakers yard! Picking up a spare part in a hurry in UK and possibly meeting with a mechanic en route in Northern Europe? Seams viable

 

[HayLouise]

After 39 people were found dead in a container in Grays, a Foreign Affairs Select Committee report says the UK's policy of closing borders drives migrants into smugglers' hands.

Committee chair Tom Tugendhat told @davemonkessex this case is just the 'tip of the iceberg'



BBC Essex on Twitter

The report calls for greater cooperation with foreign governments and says this case should be a "wake-up call to the Foreign Office and to government."

BBC Essex on Twitter

 

[PS136]

I really think the reaction from our government to this tragedy is going to be a knee jerk reaction. This has gone on for over 20 years. Some years it is worse than others but the bigger picture is to equip our ports with more staff and better technology. All vehicles need scanning and sadly there are only so many economic migrants a country can let in. We turn away people who have great qualifications and who have jobs lined up and are able to self fund the move with family and have finances for several months at least! There is help in place in countries migrants pass through but they believe streets in U.K. are paved with gold. They do not believe we have homeless! They think because we are a welfare state that everyone is ok! We have free everything! They do not comprehend that we have to work. More should be done to change their misconceptions to get them to think twice that the U.K. is answer to their dreams.

 

[Scorpio1]

Chanel 4 UK smuggling just started!! 9pm Should be interesting!!!

 

[CSIDreamer]

Chanel 4 UK smuggling just started!! 9pm Should be interesting!!!

Is this a show or a news update?

 

[Skigh]

Is this a show or a news update?

It is a tv programme showing people (who have British passports) try different ways to enter the country illegally to test border security.

 

[HayLouise]

4 November 2019


Police in Northern Ireland have yet to obtain a witness statement from the firm which owns the trailer in which 39 people were found dead in Essex last month.

A meeting between the PSNI, who had been requested to obtain the witness statement by Essex Police, and representatives of Monaghan-based Global Trailer Rentals (GTR) had been scheduled to take place on Monday.

However, the firm’s solicitor said that it had been postponed at the request of the police. Danny McNamee of Newry firm McNamee McDonnell said that his client remained available to meet police in the coming days. GTR has said it had no knowledge that its trailer was being used to smuggle illegal migrants into the UK.

PSNI meeting with firm that owns Essex trailer postponed

 

[HayLouise]

It is expected that police will seek more details about the leasing arrangement between GTR and Ronan Hughes, the man wanted by police in Essex in connection with the discovery of the bodies. Mr Hughes and his brother, Christopher, are both wanted for questioning on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking.

The trailer was leased to Ronan Hughes, who gave a Monaghan address matching that with a defunct business once run by his brother as C Hughes transport. Christopher Hughes still runs a Northern Irish-registered entity called C Hughes Logistics.

PSNI meeting with firm that owns Essex trailer postponed

 

[HayLouise]

The two men are believed to be in Co Monaghan, and the gardaí have no evidential basis for interviewing them as they are not suspected of any crime in the Republic. Essex Police are yet to issue a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for either man, which would enable the gardaí to arrest them in advance of extradition to the UK. Police spoke to Ronan Hughes in recent days, but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to convince him to agree to questioning.

Another man, Eamon Harrison, who was arrested at Dublin Port driving a truck linked to the Hughes brothers, is the subject of an EAW and appeared in the High Court in relation to the matter last week.

PSNI meeting with firm that owns Essex trailer postponed

 

[PS136]

The two men are believed to be in Co Monaghan, and the gardaí have no evidential basis for interviewing them as they are not suspected of any crime in the Republic. Essex Police are yet to issue a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for either man, which would enable the gardaí to arrest them in advance of extradition to the UK. Police spoke to Ronan Hughes in recent days, but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to convince him to agree to questioning.

Another man, Eamon Harrison, who was arrested at Dublin Port driving a truck linked to the Hughes brothers, is the subject of an EAW and appeared in the High Court in relation to the matter last week.

PSNI meeting with firm that owns Essex trailer postponed

Without the interview and further information from trailer rental company it is seaming that unless MR and EH start talking then the Hughes and others who maybe involved will be tricky to be brought to book. So the Irish basically want proof they are involved?
What more proof do they want? A written statement...Devlins? MR? EH? Maher’s? What more could they possibly need to give?

 

[Al Ka]

The two men are believed to be in Co Monaghan, and the gardaí have no evidential basis for interviewing them as they are not suspected of any crime in the Republic. Essex Police are yet to issue a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for either man, which would enable the gardaí to arrest them in advance of extradition to the UK. Police spoke to Ronan Hughes in recent days, but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to convince him to agree to questioning.

Another man, Eamon Harrison, who was arrested at Dublin Port driving a truck linked to the Hughes brothers, is the subject of an EAW and appeared in the High Court in relation to the matter last week.

PSNI meeting with firm that owns Essex trailer postponed

What a joke.

So UK police and press are blasting everywhere that brothers are Wanted and Irish police only now feel like making statement that they are Not wanted and not investigating.

But hey, scapegoat drivers are in a jail likely for many years.

PS: If Vietnam was able to make multiple arrests in this case, lets add - overseas, well, it does not paint too good picture of Irish police.

 

[Al Ka]

4 November 2019

Police could share immigration data from lorry deaths appeal

Appalling that if someone decide to help the police in this case might be thanked by being deported.

No wonder after all what they went through that they prefer to mediate through priest.
Good that lawyers are looking into this too.

 

[LuluR38]

It has been reported that this ‘group’ were being investigated for over 12 months. During that time custom checks in ports and stops by VOSA would of happened. Other types of intelligence would of been being gathered company accounts, bank accounts, phone records, social media monitoring, employees etc.

Important part of investigation is confirming when and which employee’s were involved in the movements of trucks and trailers during those fateful days leading upto the trailer in Essex. I would also throw yard stick at what contact EH had with possible conspirators following dropping the trailer in at Zebrugge. Another fact is ‘they’ clearly knew EH had dropped that trailer, yet he managed to squeeze on the Cherbourg to Dublin crossing with ease! Unbelievable gaff! There are other possible employees who actually were tagged on MR social media of being with him in foreign port area’s yet have still not been picked up!

Now the Huges brothers are out in the wind why have they not thrown the net out? Dragged others in? They have conspired too I’d of thought...knowingly or otherwise? They drive top spec trucks, drive flash cars, designer clothes and are young in their 20’s. Something very whiffy is going on

maybe they let him squeeze in with ease to save the hassle of a European arrest warrant and hunting for him ...

 

[Mommysleuth11]

What a joke.

So UK police and press are blasting everywhere that brothers are Wanted and Irish police only now feel like making statement that they are Not wanted and not investigating.

But hey, scapegoat drivers are in a jail likely for many years.

PS: If Vietnam was able to make multiple arrests in this case, lets add - overseas, well, it does not paint too good picture of Irish police.

As much as the drivers maybe "scapegoats" to an extent in that the bigger players are still out there. Lets not forget that without them, these outfits would be unable to operate. Equally responsible MOO

 

[HayLouise]

Nga Pham

@ngaphambbc

LATEST: Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a government meeting this morning in Hanoi that “maybe later today or tomorrow morning the Vietnamese delegation in coordination with the UK side will make announcement of identities of (some?) victims”. #lorrydeaths #Essex

Nga Pham on Twitter

 

[HayLouise]

Viet Nam Diplomacy
@MOFAVietNam

DFM #ToAnhDung worked w/
@ukhomeoffice
&
@EssexPoliceUK
on Essex lorry case; appreciated & suggested to help accelerating identification of victims; directed #VietNam Embassy to continue working closely w/ local authorities & prepare plans for citizens protection if needed.

Viet Nam Diplomacy on Twitter

Viet Nam Diplomacy
@MOFAVietNam

For information related to the case in Vietnamese language, please check the following link:

https://facebook.com/499243373613081/posts/1295393203998090/

Viet Nam Diplomacy on Twitter

 

[HayLouise]

Safe Passage

@safepassageuk

Last month religious leaders in
@patel4witham
's constituency wrote to her asking for her to commit to keeping open a legal route to refugee family reunion after Brexit. Without which 1000s of children could be put at risk They're still waiting for a reply

Leaders call to protect refugee families

Safe Passage on Twitter

 

[HayLouise]

Heart News East

@HeartNewsEast

It's reported another arrest has been made in Vietnam in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants found in the back of a lorry in #Grays. #Essex #HeartNews

Heart News East on Twitter