Police at the scene where 39 bodies were discovered in a lorry container, in Grays, Essex, Britain October 23, 2019.   (AFP/VNA)

According to French prosecutors, Khanh Chan, 39, also known as  Nguyen Ngoc Khanh,  was smuggling people between 2015 and 2017 and was convicted 8-year-prison sentence in his absence.

NCA and French inspectors traced him to Bexhill-on-Sea and arrested him in East Sussex. Chan will now be subject to extradition proceedings so he can be sent to France to serve his prison term. He appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.