This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/tilbury-docks-man-arrested-over-death-of-immigrant-found-in-container-9679149.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Tilbury Docks: Man arrested over death of immigrant found in container Tilbury Docks: Man arrested over death of immigrant found in container
(about 5 hours later)
Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man in connection with the death of an immigrant found along with 34 survivors in a container at Tilbury Docks. Police have arrested a man after an Afghan Sikh was found dead and 34 other people suffering from dehydration were rescued from a shipping container in Essex.
Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, was found dead inside the container in Essex on Saturday morning. Detectives in Northern Ireland seized the 34-year-old man from Limavady this afternoon on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry into the United Kingdom.
A 34-year-old man, from Limavady, was arrested just after midday at Banbridge on the A1, Essex Police said. He is being questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry into the UK. They were acting on information from Essex police officers investigating the death of Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, who was found in a container at Tilbury Docks on Saturday. The man held is to be transported across the Irish Sea for questioning.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector 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 Detective Chief Inspector 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. We will continue to work closely with all of our policing colleagues as we pursue our investigation to bring those responsible 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.” Meanwhile, in Somerset, police arrested a German man when officers pulled over a lorry containing 15 people suffering from dehydration, including men, women and a 15-year-old boy. They are thought to be from Eritrea and Kashmir. The unidentified man was arrested on suspicion of facilitating the unlawful entry of people into the UK after the lorry was intercepted on the A303 near Ilminster.
The news comes on the same day that Avon and Somerset Police discovered a lorry containing 15 people, including a 15-year-old boy, near a service station in Ilminster, near Taunton. The arrests come days after 34 Sikhs hailing from Afghanistan were discovered after border officials heard “screaming and banging” from a ship which had originated from Zeebrugge in Belgium.
Officers are working with immigration officials following the find off the A303 at Southfields Roundabout at about 1pm. A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Border and immigration officers are supporting Avon and Somerset Police as they investigate the discovery of 15 individuals in a lorry in Ilminster.
The discovery at Tilbury Docks launched an international investigation. The group of Afghani Sikhs , including 13 children, were found after they were heard “banging and screaming” from within the container. “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.
The survivors, who were treated for severe dehydration and hypothermia, are now in the care of the Home Office after being interviewed by police and are in the process of applying for asylum in the UK. “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.
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. “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.”
"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. The group of Afghans, including 13 children, were discovered trapped inside a shipping container at Tilbury Docks at the weekend.
"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 survivors claimed they were locked inside the sealed container for 18 hours from Belgium to the UK and were running out of oxygen.
"The UK takes its international obligations extremely seriously and has a proud history of offering protection to those who need it." A police translator heard how the 15 families were packed into the container after fleeing to escape persecution. The survivors have claimed asylum, according to the Home Office.
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases and any decision will not be announced publicly. Mr Kapoor, travelling with his wife and two sons, was dead on arrival. A post mortem examination failed to establish how he died.
Additional reporting by Press Association