TUNE in tonight as a BBC documentary reveals the truth behind the investigation to catch the criminals responsible for the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found dead in the back of a lorry in Grays.

‘Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers’ will air on BBC2 at 9pm on tonight (Wednesday, October 13) and will recount the biggest homicide investigation in Essex Police’s 180-year history.

The documentary begins from the moment lorry driver Maurice Robinson made a 999 call to the East of England Ambulance Service to say he had 39 people dead in the back of his lorry on October 23, 2019.

It concludes at the Old Bailey, where those convicted of their manslaughter were jailed for more than 92 years between them.

The hour-long documentary will feature interviews with senior investigating officers, family liaison officers and will also give a voice to family members of some of the 39 victims.

Spanning Britain, Europe and Vietnam, this film shows how detectives cracked open a multimillion-pound international smuggling ring with its roots in a seemingly innocuous haulage business in the heart of Northern Ireland.

With exclusive access to Essex Police, their officers and the evidence, the documentary reveals how detectives painstakingly pieced together a complex web of evidence, including the extraordinary role of a witness known only as 'Witness X', whose evidence helped bring down the gang.

Senior investigating officer DCI Daniel Stoten said: “This is a tragic case that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“It is my great privilege to have led this investigation, but it doesn’t change the overwhelming sense of loss and sadness that has been felt throughout by us all, by families, friends and by loved ones.

“They are in our thoughts, today and always.”