A suspected gang member has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after four Vietnamese men died in a fire at a mill that was being used as a cannabis factory.
Police said a 34-year-old man had been arrested after a series of raids on properties in connection with the deadly fire in Oldham, Greater Manchester, last May.
He was held on suspicion of manslaughter, cultivation of cannabis and participation in the activities of an organised crime group and remained in custody for questioning, Greater Manchester police said.
The arrest comes a year after a fire tore through Bismark House Mill in Oldham on 7 May 2022. The bodies of the four men – Nam Thanh Le, 21, Uoc Van Nguyen, 31, and Duong Van Nguyen, 29, and Cuong Van Chu, 39 – were discovered 10 weeks later when workers set about demolishing the building.
Police have said they believe the men were probably the victims of modern slavery and exploitation. It is believed part of the building was being used as an illegal cannabis factory at the time of the blaze.
The men all had to be identified through DNA samples recovered from the wreckage. The youngest of them, Nam Thanh Le, had arrived in Britain eight months before the fire and told relatives he was living in a “mill” in “Dam” – believed to be Oldham – while looking for work. He last contacted his family three days before the fire.
DCI Gareth Davies said: “Though a year has passed since the fire, and nine months since the discovery of these men’s remains, the criminal investigation is still very much open. Behind the scenes, a team of detectives have been speaking to witnesses and reviewing evidence – leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to find answers for the bereaved.”
Officers carried out raids on properties in Oldham and Tameside on Thursday – five residential properties and two commercial properties – when they arrested the 34-year-old man.
DCI Davies added: “We are really thankful to those who have assisted us with our enquiries so far but know that it is highly likely there are others out there who have information about how these men ended up in Bismarck House Mill, about activity at the mill in the weeks before the fire and about the fire itself. As we continue to do all we can, I appeal to anyone with information to contact us directly or anonymously.”
Two other people previously arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, drugs and organised crime offences remained on bail, police said.
