Vietnamese people smuggler jailed over lorry deaths

Thirty-nine migrants were found dead in the back of a lorry in October 2019 after suffocating during their journey to the UK

Eighteen people stood trial in Belgium for their roles in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in 2019. AFP

The Vietnamese ringleader of a people-smuggling gang has been jailed over his role in the deaths of 39 migrants who suffocated in the back of a lorry trailer while crossing to the UK.

A judge in Bruges ruled that Vo Van Hong played a key role in moving 15 of the victims across Europe to safe houses in Brussels before their final ill-fated journey from northern France by lorry and ferry.

He was jailed for 15 years, receiving the longest sentence of 18 people who stood trial over the smuggling network in Belgium.

Seven people have also been convicted in the UK over the deaths of the 39, who had travelled from Vietnam in the hope of better lives in Europe.

Others have been convicted in Vietnam over the smuggling effort. In France, 26 more have been charged and face trial.

The migrants were found dead in the lorry trailer in Grays, in south-east England. The 31 men and eight women aged between 15 and 44 would have suffered “excruciatingly painful” deaths, a British judge said, as he jailed four men for manslaughter in January last year.

A court heard that temperatures had risen to 40°C while the container was at sea in October 2019, with oxygen levels rising and no means of escape.

The four included two ringleaders, who received 20 and 27 years in prison. Two other men extradited from the UK await trial in Belgium.

Martin Grace, the UK National Crime Agency’s head of organised immigration crime operations, said: “These convictions demonstrate the excellent international co-operation that has continued following the tragic events in Essex in October 2019.”

“We remain determined to do all we can to put all those involved in this event before the courts, no matter where they are, and get justice for those who died.”