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Cobelfret Ferries confirmed that one of its ferries carried a 39-person container from Belgium to the British port of Purfleet on October 23.
Cobelfret Ferries, a shipping company based in Brugge, Belgium, has not disclosed which of its ferry fleets was carrying the container. However, the company says one of its ferries is called Clementine.
Clementine Ferries from Cobelfret Ferries Photo: Ferry Site
According to the maritime schedule CNN collected, the journey of the Clementine ferry on the night of October 22, and the morning of October 23 from the town of Zeebrugge, Belgium to the port of Purfleet, England coincided with the time provided by the Essex County police. Clementine Ferries frequently travel between Zeebrugge and Purfleet to transport people and goods.
The maritime calendar shows that there are no longer any other ferries or ships traveling on this waterway between midnight 22 and dawn on October 23.
Cobelfret Ferries has not been investigated by the police, but the information raises questions about how the container trailer went through Zeebrugge and boarded the ferry with 39 people inside. C.RO Ports, the parent company of Cobelfret Ferries, issued a statement on October 24 saying it supported "the investigation by Britain, Belgium and other law enforcement agencies".
A container truck carrying the bodies of the victims left the scene at the Port of Purfleet on October 24 Photo: AFP.
British police said the trailer for the 39-person refrigerated container arrived at Purfleet port at 0:30 am on October 23. Driver Mo Robinson then drove the tractor to the port, taking the container away at 1h05. At 1:40 pm, Robinson parked his car in the Waterglade industrial park, Grays town, opened the container and discovered all 39 people inside were dead.
The Essex County Police of England initially believed that all the victims, including 31 men and 8 women, were Chinese, but authorities were investigating suspected victims of non-Chinese citizenship. The representative of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK said he was working closely with the police to find out information related to this new development.
After arresting and interrogating Robinson, British police today arrested two suspects, including a 38-year-old man and woman, in the town of Warrington, nearly 350 km from Essex County, on allegations of revenge. murder and human trafficking.
