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British Police forensics officers work on a lorry, found to be containing 39 dead bodies, at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, east of London, on October 23, 2019. © Ben Stansall, AFP

Twenty-six arrested in France and Belgium over Vietnam migrant lorry deaths

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Judicial authorities said a series of early morning raids took place simultaneously in Belgium and France on Tuesday as part of two legal investigations.

One inquiry was launched following the investigation into the deaths of the 39 migrants found in October inside a truck's refrigerated container that had been hauled to England. 

Police investigating the case found the 31 male and eight female victims were all from Vietnam and ranged in age from 15 to 44, including three minors. 

Police said migrants died from a combination of a lack of oxygen and overheating in an enclosed space. The victims came from impoverished villages in Vietnam and are believed to have paid smugglers to take them on the risky journey to better lives abroad.

Last month, the truck driver pleaded guilty to manslaughter at a London court.

In Belgium, the federal public prosecutor’s office said the investigation quickly established the route taken by the victims before they got into the truck and said some of them had stayed in Belgium before their departure. 

Trans-border investigation team

Tuesday's large police operation was organized with a trans-border investigation team coordinated by the European Union crime agency Eurojust that included Belgium, France, the UK and Ireland. 

The Paris prosecutor’s office said the 13 people arrested in France are suspected of taking part in a criminal organization that had been housing and transporting several dozen migrants from Southeast Asia every day for several months.

Sixteen searches took place Tuesday in the Brussels area, including in safe houses, leading to the arrest of 11 Vietnamese citizens and two Moroccans. Five of them have been charged with migrant smuggling with aggravating circumstances, belonging to a criminal organization and forgery.

Eurojust said five migrants were found during the Belgian raids.

The suspected smugglers face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to 150,000 euros ($162,000) per identified victim.

(AP)