A pair of brothers that Essex police want to quiz over the death of 39 people in a lorry remained calm and "unfazed" as their homes were raided by armed police.

Ronan Hughes, 40, and his 34-year-old brother Christopher are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking by Essex Police. 

But it is believed the UK authorities have not obtained European arrest warrants for the pair.

Both brothers were at their homes during raids carried out by gardai with the Belfast Telegraph reporting both remained unfazed and calm during the major operation. 

Raids took place at 6am on November 7.

Gardaí were unable to arrest the brothers as they have not received a warrant from English police.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, a senior source said: "They were very calm. They showed no concern despite what the English police have said about them.

"These lads are not on the run, they are not in hiding - they are living their life and operating their jobs as they always have.

"There is no arrest warrant for them here and they were not bothered that gardaí were searching their house at all - it was an attitude of, 'if there is something illegal here, find it'."

Nothing illegal was discovered at the properties linked to the Hughes brothers but a number of vehicles were seized, including a Mitsubishi SUV registered to Mo Robinson - the Co Armagh truck driver already charged with 39 counts of manslaughter in Essex.

Also seized during the searches were a 192-registered X5 BMW M Sport, a 2016 X5 BMW, a 2014 2.8-litre VW transporter crew cab, financial documents and records and electronic devices as well as sums of €1,400, $900 and £600 in cash. However, no arrests were made and no stolen vehicles recovered.

Gardaí said in a statement that a number of restraining orders relating to accounts in financial institutions had been made by a district court judge under money laundering and terrorist financing legislation.