Christopher Kennedy, 23, who was arrested on the early hours of Friday, is expected to appear in court on Monday, about the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants who were found inside a refrigerated lorry trailer in Essex, England last month.
According to The Guardian, Kennedy, who is from Darkley, County Armagh in Northern Ireland, is faced with charges of conspiring to facilitate the illegal transfer of people to the United Kingdom.
The arrest and scheduled appearance of Kennedy in court came after new details about the Essex lorry victims were revealed to the public. It was recently revealed that ten teenagers were among those who perished inside the trailer.
Last week, it was also revealed that one of the victims, a teenager who stayed at a shelter for "vulnerable immigrants," escaped the facility. While more details about Kennedy's involvement in the case have yet to be revealed, it is believed he is among the people who arranged the transfer of the 39 migrants.
Maurice "Mo" Robinson, who drove the container, was already charged with 30 counts of manslaughter and other cases related to human trafficking. He is also set to appear before a court in London this week.
While two brothers, Christopher and Ronan Hughes, are being hunted down by police, also about the Essex lorry deaths, three people who were earlier arrested, were released on bail, BBC News reported.
Another suspect, Eammon Harrison, has also been arrested in Dublin earlier this month. He has yet to be extradited to the U.K. to face charges that include people-smuggling and immigration breaches.
In Vietnam, investigations are also going on. Earlier this month, Major General Nguyen Huu Cau, told the media that Vietnamese police are coordinating with agencies to look into the fingerprints of several people who are suspected of having links to the case.
So far, eight people have been arrested in Vietnam. Two of the people in police custody are believed to have connections to similar cases of missing persons who left the country in hopes of finding a better future in Britain.
Meanwhile, the victims' families have been calling for financial support as they repatriate the remains of their perished loved ones. It was previously revealed that the Vietnamese government offered loans to the families for the repatriation process.
People around the world have expressed empathy to the bereaved. As of last week, over $110,00 was donated to the crowdfunding page set up to help assist the Essex lorry victims' families in the repatriation.
For repatriation from the U.K. to Vietnam, each body will cost around $2,856 or 66.2 million Vietnamese dong.