LONDON (Reuters) – Four men were sentenced to lengthy prison terms on Friday for killing 39 Vietnamese men, women and children who suffocated to death in a suffocating, airtight shipping container in October 2019 when they were smuggled to Britain.
The discovery of so many dead people – two as young as 15 – in the back of the truck on an industrial estate east of London shocked Britain and Vietnam. It also shone a spotlight on the illegal world trade that sends the poor from Asia, Africa and the Middle East on dangerous journeys to the West.
As oxygen levels dropped, some desperately tried to escape, but in vain. Others used cell phones to say their last goodbyes to devastated family members on the other side of the world.
Judge Nigel Sweeney said they suffered an “exhausting slow death” when he sentenced seven men involved in the smuggling gang to a total of 92 years in prison in the London Criminal Court.
He said it was a sophisticated, long-lasting and lucrative plan that would cost the gang hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The four who pleaded guilty or were convicted of manslaughter and immigration offenses were 41-year-old transporter Ronan Hughes from Northern Ireland, the leader of the conspiracy who was jailed for 20 years, and Romanian Gheorghe Nica (44). , another important figure, sentenced to 27 years behind bars.
Maurice Robinson (26), the Northern Ireland driver of the truck in which the bodies were found, was sent to prison for 13 years while Eamonn Harrison (24), also from the British province, drove the truck to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. the victims were taken to Britain, an 18-year sentence was imposed.
Most of those who died came from the provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh in north-central Vietnam, where poor job prospects, environmental disasters and the promise of financial reward abroad are fueling migration.
British police paid tribute to the relatives of those who died, including the parents of football lover Nguyen Huy Hung (15).
“He always dreamed of going to the UK and he put a lot of effort into studying in school and also learning English for the purpose,” they said.
Reporting by Michael Holden; edited by James Davey and Angus MacSwan