Police in Romania have detained a man who is suspected of being part of a conspiracy that led to the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals who were found in the back of a lorry in Essex.

The victims’ bodies were discovered in a lorry trailer in Grays, which had been transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in Essex, early on October 23, 2019.

Read more >>> Crimestoppers offers £10,000 reward in search for man over Essex lorry deaths

Last month, Essex Police made a public appeal to trace Romanian national Marius Mihai Draghici, who is suspected of being part of the network which co-ordinated immigrants’ journeys to the UK.

Charity Crimestoppers had also offered an up to £10,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of a man.

The force said this morning that 48-year-old Draghici has been detained by Romanian police in the city of Bucharest.

It follows the execution of a European Arrest Warrant.

An application is now being made to extradite him to the UK.