An Irish company has confirmed it owns the refrigerated trailer where 39 Chinese nationals were found dead in Essex.
Family-run business Global Trailer Rentals Ltd (GTR) told RTE News that the vehicle was leased on October 15 from its yard in Co Monaghan, in the Republic of Ireland, for 275 euro per week.
Essex Police have launched a murder investigation after they were called to Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays and found the bodies of 38 adults and one teenager in the trailer.
GTR said it had contacted Essex Police and given them information about the person and company that leased the trailer.
A spokesman for the company also said it will pass all tracking data on to investigating officers.
The company’s directors told Ireland’s national broadcaster they are “shellshocked” at the news and “gutted” that one of their trailers had been used in such a way.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, GTR said it was “entirely unaware that the trailer was to be used in the manner in which it appears to have been”.
It says the company contacted Essex Police on Wednesday “immediately upon becoming aware that a trailer on lease from this company had been involved in this incident”.
Detectives today earlier raided two houses in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, as part of their probe into the tragedy.
Meanwhile, officers in Essex continue to question the driver of the lorry, Mo Robinson, 25.
He remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder.
