British police found the bodies of 39 people inside a truck at an industrial estate near London on Wednesday and said they had arrested the driver on suspicion of murder.
CHINESE NATIONALITIES
The discovery of the bodies – 38 adults and one teenager – was made in the early hours after emergency services were alerted to people in a truck container on an industrial site in Grays, about 20 miles (32 km) east of central London.
Police said the trailer had arrived at nearby docks having traveled from Zeebrugge in Belgium and the bodies were found just over an hour later.
The red cab unit of the truck was believed to have originated in Ireland. It had “Ireland” emblazoned on the windscreen along with the message “The Ultimate Dream”. The driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, remained in custody.
39 people found dead in truck near London were Chinese nationals WATCH
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was appalled by the news and was receiving regular updates about the investigation which was focused on human trafficking.
“We know that this trade is going on – all such traders in human beings should be hunted down and brought to justice,” he said.
All those in the container were pronounced dead at the scene after the emergency services were called to the Waterglade Industrial Park, not far from docks on the River Thames.
The 39 people found dead in the back of a truck on an industrial estate near London on Wednesday were Chinese nationals, ITV News reported on Thursday.