A gang of 26 suspected people smugglers have been arrested in
France and
Belgium in an investigation prompted by the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found in the back of a lorry in Essex last year. The early morning raids took place in
Paris and
Brussels, with 13 people detained in each country. In Belgium, 11 Vietnamese and two Moroccans were held, while in France, authorities said the suspects were “mostly Vietnamese and French”. The suspects are allegedly part of an organised crime group that smuggles refugees from Asia, particularly from Vietnam, and that likely has transported up to several dozen people every day for several months, Europol said in a statement. “Prompted by the discovery of 39 deceased Vietnamese nationals inside a refrigerated
trailer in Essex in the
United Kingdom in October 2019, a joint investigation team (JIT) was created between Belgium,
Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Eurojust and Europol,” Europol said.