Family to share £280k of property seized after Laurie’s death

A judge has made a final decision on how much cash and property from the ringleader behind a smuggling operation will be distributed as compensation to victims’ families.

Twenty-nine Vietnamese migrants died after suffocating inside an airtight container found in Grays, Essex, on 23 October 2019.

Eleven people were convicted in Britain In relation to the case, in which it was revealed that victims had paid large sums of money for “VIP” passage in Europe.

Following a hearing at the Central Criminal Court, a judge ordered Ronan Hughes’ assets worth £182,078.90 to be seized and included in a compensation package totaling £283,802.58.

Hughes, who was a freight manager, was A total of 20 years in jail At the Old Bailey in February 2021, after admitting his role in 39 deaths.

At a hearing in November, Hughes objected to the estate being built on his parents’ land in Ireland, which was not property available for confiscation proceedings.

But a judge at the Central Criminal Court decided that it was, and ordered the £182,078.90 to be paid as compensation to be confiscated.

Vietnamese men, women and children paid fees of up to £13,000 for their faith A safe route to the UK,

Their bodies were discovered when the container they were in was transported by ferry from Belgium to Purfleet.

Police said that on the day of the discovery, Hughes left Thurrock and boarded a plane back to Ireland.

On 20 April 2020, Hughes was extradited to Essex after being granted a European arrest warrant.

Det Ch Inspector Lewis Metcalfe said following criminal proceedings against all those involved, “Our ultimate task is to harass Hughes for his ill-gotten gains”.

He said, “We know that he – and his colleagues – regarded this operation as a lucrative business and ending our work on the conviction of this group would not be acceptable to anyone at Essex Police.”

“This money – all £283,802.58 of it – will be divided between Vietnamese families who continue to feel the devastating loss of their loved ones.

“It will do little to repair their losses, I know that, but I really hope it will allow them to move forward.”