People smuggler sentenced for manslaughter of 39 migrants in Essex
Marius Mihai Draghici, 50, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey last month to manslaughter
An alleged ringleader of a people-smuggling gang has been sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in prison for the manslaughter of 39 men, women, and children found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.
The Vietnamese nationals were discovered in the container, which had been transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet on October 23, 2019.
The victims had hoped for a better life in Britain and had agreed to pay up to £13,000 per person for a "VIP" smuggling service. On October 22, 2019, they were loaded into the lorry container under undisclosed conditions and subsequently ran out of air before reaching British shores. The old bailey heard they desperately tried to raise the alarm.
Marius Mihai Draghici, 50, the alleged ringleader, was apprehended by police in Romania in August of the previous year. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on June 23 to charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
In 2021, four others were sentenced for their involvement in the manslaughter of the 39 migrants.
The court proceedings revealed that the smuggling operation was long-running and profitable. It was estimated that the smugglers could have made over a million pounds in October 2019 alone. The court identified seven smuggling trips between May 2018 and October 23, 2019, with the possibility of more undisclosed trips taking place.
The migrants would board lorries at a remote location on the continent, destined for transportation to Britain. Once in the UK, they would be transferred to smaller vehicles organized by Gheorghe Nica, with the intention of reaching a safe house before receiving payment. The fee for the "VIP route," where the lorry drivers were aware of the presence of smuggled migrants, ranged between £10,000 and £13,000.
Despite previous reports to the police by concerned residents in Orsett, Essex, the smuggling operation continued until the tragic journey that led to the victims' deaths.
– The 39 victims were:
Dinh Dinh Binh, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Huy Phong, Le Van Ha, Nguyen Van Hiep, Bui Phan Thang, Nguyen Van Hung, Nguyen Huy Hung, Nguyen Tien Dung, Pham Thi Tra My, Tran Khanh Tho, Nguyen Van Nhan, Vo Ngoc Nam, Vo Van Linh, Nguyen Ba Vu Hung, Vo Nhan Du, Tran Hai Loc, Tran Manh Hung, Nguyen Thi Van, Bui Thi Nhung, Hoang Van Tiep, Tran Thi Ngoc, Phan Thi Thanh, Tran Thi Tho, Duong Minh Tuan, Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, Tran Thi Mai Nhung, Le Trong Thanh, Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Hoang Van Hoi, Tran Ngoc Hieu, Cao Tien Dung, Dinh Dinh Thai Quyen, Dang Huu Tuyen, Nguyen Dinh Luong , Cao Huy Thanh, Nguyen Trong Thai, Nguyen Tho Tuan and Nguyen Dinh Tu.