A “right-hand man” in a people-smuggling ring has been jailed for more than 12 years for the manslaughter of 39 men, women and children <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/26/20-vietnamese-migrants-feared-families-among-39-found-dead-lorry/">found dead in a lorry trailer</a> in Essex.

The Vietnamese nationals died in the airtight sealed container as it was being transported by ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019.

Marius Mihai Draghici, 50, fled the country and was detained by police in Romania last August and extradited back to the UK.

Last month, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/23/essex-vietnamese-migrant-lorry-deaths-romanian-guilty-plea/">he pleaded guilty</a> at the Old Bailey to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Draghici, 50, jailed for his part in ‘unspeakable’ crime after initially fleeing the country and being extradited back to UK{ai:summary}<p>A key figure in a people-smuggling ring has been sentenced to more than 12 years in jail for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese nationals. The victims were found dead in a sealed container on a ferry from Belgium to England in October 2019. The culprit, Marius Mihai Draghici, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including manslaughter and assisting illegal immigration. #crime</p>

Smuggler behind 39 Vietnamese migrant deaths jailed for 12 years

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