Thirty-nine immigrants found dead were Chinese nationals

The 39 immigrants found frozen to death in the back of a lorry all came from China and were discovered by the British driver who dialled 999 after he opened the container to grab his paperwork and found piles of bodies, MailOnline can reveal today.   

Police are probing whether the immigrants were moved into the UK by a Northern Ireland-based people smuggling ring as three properties across the province were raided overnight.   
The stowaways - 31 men and eight women including a young adult woman - had travelled 5,000 miles from China to the UK and slowly froze to death in ‘absolutely horrendous’ conditions after they tried to reach Britain on a cargo ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium.   

Police are probing whether the victims were being trafficked by criminal gangs operating in the UK.   

Murder detectives in Essex are still interviewing lorry driver Maurice ‘Mo’ Robinson, 25, whose home in Markethill, Co Armagh, was raided last night before a team entered the nearby home he used to share with his parents, who have flown to England overnight to support their son. A third property in Armagh City was also searched this morning.   

The migrants were huddled inside the super-chilled sound-proofed container for at least 15 hours by the time the door was opened by Mr Robinson, at 1.40am yesterday. 
UK, (Daily Mail), 
24 October 2019