Man charged with immigration offence in lorry deaths inquiry
A 27-year-old man has been charged with an immigration offence in connection with the investigation into the deaths of 39 migrants in a refrigerated lorry.
Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, is due to appear at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
He is accused of conspiring to smuggle non-EU nationals into the UK, contrary to immigration law.
A man from #Tilbury has been charged with an immigration offence and will appear at Magistrates’ Court today, 4 March.
The 27-year-old was arrested earlier this week in connection with our ongoing investigation into the death of 39 Vietnamese citizens on 23 October 2019. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/Ro8lS10NMN
— Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) March 4, 2020
The charge was brought as part of the investigation into the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals who were found in a lorry container parked in an industrial estate in Grays, Essex.
Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among those found dead in the lorry in the early hours of October 23 last year.
Detectives from Essex Police believe a number of Vietnamese nationals may have come into the UK illegally through Purfleet in the same month, and are asking them to come forward to help with the investigation.
