This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Detectives have named two people they want to speak to in connection with the deaths of 39 people whose bodies were found in a refrigerated lorry trailer in Essex last week.

Ronan Hughes, 40, and his brother Christopher, 34, both from Armagh, Northern Ireland, were wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking, Essex police said on Tuesday.

Det Ch Supt Stuart Hooper, who is leading the investigation, said: “Finding and speaking to the Hughes brothers is crucial to our investigation.

“At this time we believe they are in Northern Ireland but they also have links to the Irish republic. If you know where they are or have any information about their whereabouts I need you to call my team.”

Ronan Hughes also goes by the name Rowan, Essex police said.

Hooper said support from the community would be vital to help bring those responsible to justice and urged people to contact police with “even the smallest detail”.

The lorry driver Maurice Robinson, 25, known as Mo, appeared in Chelmsford magistrates court by video link on Monday morning accused of the manslaughter of the eight women and 31 men. Their bodies were found in the trailer attached to Robinson’s Scania cab in an industrial park in Grays in the early hours of 23 October.

He was also charged with one count of conspiracy to facilitate human trafficking, one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration between 1 December 2018 and 24 October this year, and two counts of money laundering. He was not asked to indicate a plea.

Three other people – a 38 year-old man, a 38 year-old woman, and a 46 year-old man – were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people, and were all bailed on Sunday.

Work to identify the victims is continuing. There has been no confirmation of their nationality but many families in Vietnam fear their loved ones may be among the dead.