An appeal to identify the body of a young man found on a plane which landed at Gatwick Airport last year (December 7, 2022) has been launched by Sussex Police. An e-fit image of the man, believed to have been in his 20s or 30s, has been produced and released as part of an investigation into the death.
Sussex Police said that it was called after the discovery of a man’s body was found in the undercarriage of the aircraft last year at about 4am. The flight had been in-bound from Banjul in The Gambia and took off from there shortly before 10pm local time.
Although it has been many months since the man’s body was found, he is yet to be identified. The e-fit image has been shared with authorities in The Gambia in an attempt to identify the man.
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Detective Inspector Darren Lillywhite said: “This was a tragic case, and we are working to establish the identity of the man found deceased. We have now produced an e-fit image of the young man, believed to be aged in his 20s or 30s, which we have shared with authorities in The Gambia.
“Somewhere, this man will have relatives or loved ones who do not know what has happened to him. We hope to be able to identify him for the purposes of an inquest to be held by HM Coroner, which may at least provide some answers and closure for those who knew him.
“In particular, we are seeking contact from anyone in the UK that may have been expecting to meet a friend or family member who failed to arrive in December, as well as anyone in The Gambia or neighbouring countries, who may have knowledge about an individual who made travel plans to come to the UK or Europe. Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact us at Sussex Police online, quoting serial 101 of 07/12, or contact their relevant authority or Interpol.”
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