A man wanted over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals found in a refrigerated lorry has been caught and charged with manslaughter.

Ronan Hughes, 40, was arrested on Monday in Ireland, following the execution of a European arrest warrant.

Mr Hughes, from Co Armagh in Northern Ireland, is due to appear at Dublin’s High Court on Tuesday charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, as well as immigration offences, Essex Police said.

The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were found dead in a lorry container parked on an industrial estate in Grays, Essex, on October 23, last year. The lorry had arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium in the early hours of the morning.

Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead.

Following the arrest, Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith, head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: ‘This investigation is one of the largest in Essex Police history and we are working tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to the 23 October 2019 for the sake of the victims and their loved ones.

‘We have worked closely with the National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service as well as police and prosecutors in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Germany and Vietnam.’

It comes after driver Maurice Robinson, 25, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of the 39 victims at the Old Bailey earlier this month.

In February, Eamonn Harrison, of Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, was granted permission to appeal against his extradition to the UK under the terms of a European arrest warrant issued by Essex Police.

The 22-year-old is facing 39 manslaughter charges, one of human trafficking and one of assisting unlawful immigration.

A further hearing will be held in Dublin on Thursday May 7, Essex Police said.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow…

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