A man described as an 'essential cog' in a people-smuggling gang that caused the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a lorry in Essex has been jailed for 12 years and seven months for manslaughter. Marius Mihai Draghici, 50, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey last month to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
The victims, including two 15-year-olds, died after being crammed into a sealed airtight container on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019. They had agreed to pay up to £13,000 each for a 'VIP' service to reach Britain. The judge described the conditions as 'unspeakable', with no ventilation and no way out.
Draghici fled Britain after the tragedy and was detained in Romania last August before being extradited. Prosecutors said he acted as a 'right-hand man' to ringleader Gheorghe Nica, who was jailed for 27 years in 2021. Draghici admitted involvement in the last three smuggling runs, including the fatal trip.
The court heard harrowing details of the victims' final hours, including text messages and voicemails. One unsent message from a young mother read: 'Maybe going to die in the container. Cannot breathe any more.' The lorry driver, Maurice Robinson, who discovered the bodies, alerted Draghici and others before they fled to Romania.
Victim impact statements described the families' horror. The father of 15-year-old Nguyen Huy Hung said they were 'very shocked' and 'trembling' after learning of his death on social media. A married couple, Tran Hai Loc and Nguyen Thi Van, were found lying side by side in the container.
