Essex Lorry Entered UK from Belgium’s Zeebrugge Port

The refrigerated trailer in which 39 migrants were found dead in Essex, eastern England, on October 23 entered the UK through the C.RO Ports-operated Purfleet Terminal.

The company further confirmed that the trailer originated from its terminal in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

The police originally reported that the lorry had traveled into the country through the Irish Sea port Holyhead, in Wales. The police further said that the tractor unit of the lorry is believed to have originated in Northern Ireland.

The incident on Wednesday occurred after the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) last year warned that people smugglers could turn to Belgium’s Zeebrugge port after France improved its port security.

“People traffickers have adapted their methods in recent years and ports have been working with the UK Border Force and the police to deal with these ever varying risks,” Richard Ballantyne, Chief Executive of the British Ports Association commented on the situation in Essex.

A multi-agency and multi-national investigation into the incident is currently underway. The driver of the lorry, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, remains in custody having been arrested on suspicion of murder.