Grays 39 deaths:
Statement from DCI Daniel Stoten
EVERY man, woman and child, who died in the lorry trailer came from Vietnam.
They may have started their journeys at different times but, ultimately, they were all following the same false promise of a better life.
They put their trust in people they hoped would deliver them safely to our shores.
As we all now know, sadly, that’s not how their story ended.
Today, I think of the families and friends of the victims.
The victims were mothers, fathers, son, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends to many. Two of them – Dinh Dinh Binh and Nguyen Huy Hung were just 15 years old. Every victim has a family who misses them terribly.
Their families and friends won’t hear their voices again and they won’t receive pictures of their lives in a new country.
Their family, many of whom are still thousands of miles away from where I stand today, have suffered an unimaginable loss.
I know this because my team at Essex Police have heard their stories, and carefully recorded their testimony at first hand.
The people found guilty today made their money from misery.
They knew that what they were doing was dangerous, but they didn’t care.
They tried to hide what they were doing. The tried to cover their tracks. Some fled the country, thinking that we could not get them back.
Today, they have been proved wrong on every count.
Since our investigation started, on October 23rd last year, more than 1,400 people have worked on this case.
Officers, staff and volunteers from Essex Police, from Police forces across the UK and from national and international law enforcement collected hundreds of thousands of pieces of pages of evidence – which has delivered justice for the victims and their families.
I am sure that this will be a case we will never forget.
I’d like to speak directly to the families now:
We are one step closer to getting you the justice you deserve and I hope that it will offer some solace.
Our thoughts are with you, today and always.
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