China's government is asking Britain to severely punish anyone involved in the suspected human trafficking case that led to the discovery of 39 deceased Chinese citizens on Wednesday.
The bodies were found in a tractor-trailer at an industrial park 20 miles east of London. In that truck, Essex police found 31 male and eight female bodies, who were later identified on Thursday evening as Chinese nationals believed to have been coming from Belgium.
“This is the largest investigation of its kind Essex Police has ever had to conduct and it is likely to take some considerable time to come to a conclusion,” Essex Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington said.
Police still don't know how and when the 39 people on board the refrigerated container died. The truck driver, who took charge of the vessel once it landed in Northern Ireland from the Belgium port of Zeebrugge, is currently being detained for questioning.
Belgian police have launched a human trafficking investigation into the case. Lead prosecutor, Eric van der Sypt, said Belgian police are puzzled as to how and when the Chinese nationals entered the container.
"We read with a heavy heart the reports about the death of 39 people in Essex, England. We are in close contact with the British police to seek clarification and confirmation of the relevant reports," China's embassy in the UK said in a statement.
This isn't the first time human traffickers have tried to smuggle Chinese nationals to the U.K. In 2000, 58 Chinese nationals were found dead in a tomato truck in Dover, England.
A study conducted by the British government this month found that in 2018, China was the fourth most common country of origin for victims of modern-day slavery in the U.K
By: Niza Nondo
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