Maurice “Mo” Robinson, 25, was remanded in custody by magistrates in Chelmsford after appearing before them via video link. He was charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering on Saturday.

Robinson was not asked to indicate a plea and will next appear at the Old Bailey on November 25 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Dressed in a grey prison tracksuit, he confirmed his name, address and nationality and was given the date of his next court appearance.

Robinson, from Laurel Drive in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, was arrested after the bodies were found in the refrigerated trailer attached to a Scania cab at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, in the early hours of Wednesday.

A man and woman, both 38, from Warrington, and a 45-year-old man from Northern Ireland, who were arrested last week, have been released on bail.

Last night, Essex Police said a 23-year-old arrested at Dublin Port was a “person of interest” in their investigation.

Meanwhile, the painstaking process of identifying the bodies is still underway.

Investigators will look at tattoos, scars and belongings, including jewellery and clothing, with each of the victims said to have had some kind of bag.

More than 500 exhibits have been collected, including mobile phones, which will be downloaded and interrogated for any messages that could give clues to the identity of the victims, or how they came to be in the back of the trailer.

Families face an agonising wait to find out if their loved ones were among the dead after Essex Police launched “the largest mass fatality victim identification process” in the force’s history.

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