Eight possible migrants have been arrested after being found in the back of a lorry on the M25.
Six men and two women were taken into custody after being taken off the vehicle on Tuesday at a lorry park at Waltham Abbey.
Essex Police confirmed that the driver of the lorry was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry in the UK.
The driver has since been released without charge, the force added.
All those involved in the incident were assessed by paramedics before being taken into custody on suspicion of immigration offences.
The arrests come after the main suspect in a triple stabbing in west London was revealed to be an Afghan national who came to the UK in a lorry in 2020.
A 22-year-old man was arrested after a dog walker was killed and two others were injured during a “shocking and senseless” attack in Midhurst Gardens in Uxbridge.
Wayne Broadhurst, who was understood to have been walking his spaniel when the incident broke out, died during the knife attack.
A 14-year-old boy was also taken to hospital with knife wounds following the attack while another man, aged 45, was taken to hospital with life-changing injuries.
A suspect was Tasered and arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
He was taken to to hospital as a precaution before being taken into police custody.
It is understood the suspect was granted asylum and leave to remain in 2022. Officials added that he was not staying in an asylum hotel or any other Home Office accommodation.
