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Police Chinese visit to mark tragedy anniversary
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Chief Supt Steve Corbishley
KENT NEWS: Ten years ago this June, customs officers inspecting a lorry at Dover’s Eastern Docks made the most gruesome discovery of their careers.

For instead of finding just boxes of tomatoes in the sealed container they were searching, they discovered the lifeless bodies of 58 Chinese illegal immigrants who had perished on the five-hour trip from Zeebrugge to Dover.

The victims had suffocated, with just two survivors alive to tell the harrowing tale of how they desperately tried to claw out of the air-tight lorry on that fateful day of June 18, 2000.

Less than a year later in April 2001, Dutch lorry driver Perry Wacker was found guilty of 58 charges of manslaughter and four counts of conspiracy at Maidstone Crown Court.

It was found he had closed the only air vent in the lorry to prevent the immigrants being discovered.

Wacker was sentenced to 14 years and his co-accused Ying Guo, from Essex, was jailed for six years for conspiring to bring illegal immigrants into Britain.

Judge Alan Moses said the sentences could not truly reflect the tragedy of so many deaths.

The disturbing incident has since been used as an example to highlight the evil criminal gangs who make money out of people smuggling.

To mark the 10th anniversary, Kent Police’s Medway Area Commander Chief Superintendent Steve Corbishley is visiting Foshan in China to meet his counterparts who worked on the case with the Kent force.

He was part of the massive police investigation that resulted in the conviction of Wacker.

Working closely with Chinese colleagues in the UK and in China, he also helped identify those who had lost their lives and returned the bodies’ home to their families.

Chief Supt Corbishley said: “Whilst I’m in China I have the opportunity to meet Chinese colleagues who worked with me 10 years ago in a very traumatic investigation for everyone involved.

“I hope my visit will help build a strong relationship between the two locations allowing the development of new business, educational and cultural exchange opportunities.

“Whilst I’m proud to represent Medway, there will be a feeling of sadness as I reflect on the investigation in Dover and those that lost their lives in such tragic circumstances 10 years ago.”

High-tech X-ray machines and fibro-scope cameras are now used at Dover’s Eastern Docks for detecting contraband.

The state-of-the-art kit can also seek out illegal immigrants hiding in vehicles.

Similar technology, costing £15 million, is to be used in a pilot scheme in Calais to boost searches of vehicles and goods heading for Britain.

Chief Supt Corbishley, who is also chair of the Medway Community Safety Partnership, will also be showing Chinese authorities the work being carried out to tackle crime in the UK as part of his visit.

“There is great interest in the fantastic reductions we have achieved over the past year here in Medway,” he added.
POSTED: 07/03/2010 14:00:00

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