A 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland remains in custody, arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of 39 bodies in a container in Essex.
The truck containing the bodies is registered in Bulgaria to a company owned by an Irish citizen.
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Police say the discovery was made in the early hours of this morning, in an industrial estate in Grays.
Essex Police believe the container was transported from Belgium to the UK last night, and Gardaí are satisfied the deceased were not trafficked through Ireland.
The cab of the lorry is believed to have originated in Northern Ireland.
Essex Police has launched a murder investigation after the bodies of 39 people were found inside a lorry container in Grays. https://t.co/NhmGRDEzNO
— Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) October 23, 2019
Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner said: "This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives. Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened."
Police are in the process of identifying the victims but they say it could be a "lengthy process."
