A 25-year-old Iraqi man has been arrested in the UK following a DNA match, allegedly linking him to a van used to smuggle people from Belgium to Britain.
According to a Monday statement by Belgian prosecution, the suspect's "DNA profile corresponds to the fabrics found on the steering wheel".
The detainee, who is suspected of smuggling 26 adults and four children in a Peugeot van, has in May 2018 fled the scene of a police shootout that killed a two-year-old Iraqi Kurd girl. Mawda Shawri was traveling with her parents, who tried to get to the UK.
According to Belgian police, who chased the van, officers were aiming to shoot the vehicle's tyre. However, as shots were fired, the toddler, sitting in her mother's lap, was killed.
Mawda's death triggered protests by demonstrators, who lashed out at Belgium's tough migrant policy.
READ MORE: Belgian State Secretary Suggests EU Should Only Take Refugees Via UN Camps
Thousands of people turned out for her funeral of Mawda Shawri, while Belgium's interior minister has described Mawda's death as "tragic."
https://t.co/P9lhBybaEo 1500 march at the funeral of #Mawda Shawri in #Belgium. The 2 year old refugee was shot dead by police earlier this month
— Calais Solidarity (@calaisolidarity) May 30, 2018
It has later emerged that the toddler's life could have been saved through more effective communication between police in Belgium and France.
A Flemish newspaper reported that French police forces were aware the van had been used for smuggling people.
