Man (40s) arrested after six people found in lorry trailer at Rosslare Europort

A MAN IN his 40s has been arrested in connection with the discovery of six people inside a lorry trailer at Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford yesterday.

At around 5am on Thursday, gardaí were alerted to the presence of six people in the trailer of a lorry that had docked at the port.

All six, five adult men and one juvenile male, were taken to hospital for medical assessment.

Two were refused permission to land, while the juvenile is said to be receiving appropriate supports.

A 40-year-old man was today arrested in connection with the investigation. He is currently detained at a garda station in the Co Wexford area.

‘Huge concern’

Ger Hyland is the president of the Irish Road Haulage Association.

Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, he remarked that this is a “huge issue” for his members.

However, he called on people to “think of the six migrants that came across in a steel container”.

Hyland noted that in many cases the “containers are airtight”.

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“That container could have sat in Zeebrugge (in Belgium) for two or three days before it was shipped across to Ireland,” he added.

“It could sit on a quay in Ireland for two or three days before it’s out for delivery.”

Hyland then added: “Take a thought for our drivers, who deliver these containers and when they open the back doors at their point of delivery, you don’t know what you’re going to find, so it is a huge concern for our members and our drivers”.

Hyland added that organised crime gangs are often involved in putting people in containers and that they often believe they are headed for England and are “surprised” to arrive in Ireland.

“The criminal gangs putting these people in containers, they don’t care where they go, what happens to them, so long as they get their money.”

Meanwhile, Hyland said his members have a “list of checks” when undertaking international work.

However, he said there are times when drivers “know absolutely nothing until he hears the migrants banging on the side of the trailer when he gets to his destination”.

Hyland added that “our operators are doing everything they can”.

“There are desperate people out there,” said Hyland, “but their final destination normally seems to be the UK.”

He added that to the “best of my knowledge, there is none of our operators involved in people smuggling”.

Hyland called for a “tightening up on security and security checks” in ferry ports in Europe.