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Man held in Northern Ireland over Tilbury migrant death Man held in Northern Ireland over Tilbury migrant death
(about 2 hours later)
A man has been arrested in Northern Ireland in connection with the death of an Afghan man who was found in a shipping container along with 34 other people at Tilbury docks in Essex.A man has been arrested in Northern Ireland in connection with the death of an Afghan man who was found in a shipping container along with 34 other people at Tilbury docks in Essex.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers working in conjunction with their Essex counterparts detained the man after a raid on a property in Limavady, Co Derry, at lunchtime on Tuesday.Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers working in conjunction with their Essex counterparts detained the man after a raid on a property in Limavady, Co Derry, at lunchtime on Tuesday.
The PSNI said the 34-year-old man was being held in connection with alleged manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry into the UK. He was detained on the main road between Belfast and Dublin, and is in PSNI custody awaiting transfer to England where he will be questioned by Essex officers. The PSNI said the 34-year-old was being held in connection with alleged manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry into the UK. He was detained on the main road between Belfast and Dublin, and is in PSNI custody awaiting transfer to England where he will be questioned by Essex officers.
Acting DCI Martin Pasmore, of Essex police, said: "This is a fast-moving investigation which has already involved a number of police forces and law enforcement agencies from across the United Kingdom and Europe.Acting DCI Martin Pasmore, of Essex police, said: "This is a fast-moving investigation which has already involved a number of police forces and law enforcement agencies from across the United Kingdom and Europe.
"I am very grateful to officers from the PSNI for their assistance this morning. We will continue to work closely with all of our policing colleagues as we pursue our investigation to bring those responsible for this crime to justice.""I am very grateful to officers from the PSNI for their assistance this morning. We will continue to work closely with all of our policing colleagues as we pursue our investigation to bring those responsible for this crime to justice."
Thirteen children aged as young as one were among the suspected illegal immigrants from Afghanistan discovered at Tilbury on Saturday. The stowaways – Afghan Sikhs from Kabul – were found after workers heard "screaming and banging" coming from a container while it was being unloaded from a ferry. Thirteen children aged as young as one were among the suspected illegal immigrants discovered at Tilbury on Saturday. The stowaways – Afghan Sikhs from Kabul – were found after workers heard screaming and banging coming from a container while it was being unloaded from a ferry.
The dead man was identified as Meet Singh Kapoor, who was 40. The survivors are in the care of the Home Office after being interviewed by police and are in the process of applying for asylum in the UK.The dead man was identified as Meet Singh Kapoor, who was 40. The survivors are in the care of the Home Office after being interviewed by police and are in the process of applying for asylum in the UK.
"We are continuing to provide expert support, along with the National Crime Agency, to the Essex police investigation into the discovery of 35 people in a container at the port of Tilbury on Saturday," said a Home Office spokesman. "This tragic incident is a reminder of the devastating human consequences of illegal migration and we will do all we can to help bring those responsible to justice. All 34 are now in the process of claiming asylum in the UK and we are providing accommodation and support to those who require it while their cases are considered." A Home Office spokesman said: "We are continuing to provide expert support, along with the National Crime Agency, to the Essex police investigation into the discovery of 35 people in a container at the port of Tilbury on Saturday.
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases and any decision will not be announced publicly. "This tragic incident is a reminder of the devastating human consequences of illegal migration and we will do all we can to help bring those responsible to justice. All 34 are now in the process of claiming asylum in the UK and we are providing accommodation and support to those who require it while their cases are considered."
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases and any asylum decision will not be announced publicly.
The container was on a P&O-owned commercial vessel, the Norstream, which carries freight between Zeebrugge in Belgium and Tilbury. It left Zeebrugge on Friday at 10pm and arrived at Tilbury on Saturday morning carrying 64 containers, 72 trailers and five lorries and drivers.The container was on a P&O-owned commercial vessel, the Norstream, which carries freight between Zeebrugge in Belgium and Tilbury. It left Zeebrugge on Friday at 10pm and arrived at Tilbury on Saturday morning carrying 64 containers, 72 trailers and five lorries and drivers.
The group was found inside a container by port staff just after 6.30am when they were heard screaming and banging. Many were suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. The group was found inside a container by port staff just after 6.30am. Many were suffering from dehydration and hypothermia.
Separately, police are investigating after a lorry containing 20 people was discovered at a service station in Ilminster, near Taunton. Officers from Avon and Somerset are working with immigration officials following the discovery on Tuesday. In a separate, unconnected incident, police arrested a German lorry driver on Tuesday after 15 foreign nationals were discovered inside his vehicle at a service station in Ilminster, near Taunton, Somerset. The driver, who was in his late 30s, was held on suspicion of facilitating the unlawful entry of people into the UK.
"We stopped a lorry at a service station off the A303 at Southfields roundabout at about 1pm, which contained a group of 20 people who are currently being treated by paramedics for possible dehydration," an Avon and Somerset police spokesman said. "Their health and welfare is paramount as we try to piece together with the immigration authorities exactly what has happened." The foreign nationals – who told police they were from Eritrea and Kashmir – included 11 men in their late teens and early 20s, three women and a 15-year-old boy. The lorry, owned by international freight company Thermotraffic, was heading to the West Country after arriving in the UK that day from continental Europe.
Supt Geoff Wessell, of Avon and Somerset police, told Sky News: "The driver was quite shocked to find people in his vehicle and he is assisting us with our inquiries. There were a number of calls being made and I am aware that the driver was in contact with his company and everything happened almost at the same time.
"I am also aware that the driver was trying to find a safe place to pull over, so the driver did pull over very willingly when police officers got behind the vehicle."
Wessell said some of the group could speak English and were thought to have been on the lorry for several hours. "They told us they got on to the vehicle in mainland Europe at one of the main ferry ports but we don't have the details of their journey at the moment," he said.
"We responded as soon as we got the call from a member of the public. They were quite distressed and it got very hot in the vehicle and they were quite dehydrated. They had been in the vehicle several hours. It is never nice for officers to have to deal with something like this but luckily when they opened the wagon up the occupants were distressed but there was no one seriously injured."
The group were thought to be suffering from dehydration and were examined by paramedics at the scene. "There are no ongoing concerns over their health or wellbeing and they've been provided with medical support and supplies," a force spokesman said. "We're now liaising with the local authority to manage their ongoing welfare needs."
A Home Office spokeswoman said border and immigration officers were supporting Avon and Somerset police as they investigated. "We continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies both here and in Europe to target the organised crime gangs behind the majority of people-smuggling," she said.
"These criminals are constantly modifying their tactics in an attempt to evade strengthened border controls and we are seeing increasingly dangerous methods being used, including the use of sealed or refrigerated vehicles. We would warn those who are tempted to put their lives in the hands of organised smugglers, that they are putting themselves and their families at risk."