Man Shot Dead In UK-Plated Van Carrying Irregular Migrants In France

A 47-year-old man has been found shot dead inside a UK-plated van carrying about 10 irregular migrants at a motorway rest stop in northern France.

The vehicle was discovered early Friday at the Champ l’Epée rest area, about 30 kilometres north of Troyes and roughly 300 kilometres from the English Channel, according to the Troyes prosecutor’s office.

Troyes prosecutor Isabelle Verissimo said the man was found around 5:00 a.m. with a gunshot wound to the head while seated inside the van.

Police also found about 10 foreign nationals who were in France irregularly. Their nationalities, as well as that of the deceased, were not immediately disclosed.

According to the prosecutor’s office, preliminary investigations indicated that shots were fired as the van stopped at the rest area, after which several people fled the scene.

A suspect believed to have been present at the crime scene was arrested early Friday, Verissimo said.

The investigation has been handed to the law enforcement office in Reims.

The Troyes prosecutor’s office said a criminal case would be opened on Saturday on charges including murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, aiding the organised entry and movement of foreigners in France, and organised human trafficking.