UK’s role in tsunami identification ends

UK police officers involved in the international operation to identify victims of the tsunami in Thailand have finally completed their work in the country, handing full control of the process back to the Royal Thai Police at the end of February.

UK police officers and staff have been deployed in Thailand since December 30, 2004, in support of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Coroner, assisting the international effort to identify those who died in the tragedy.

During that time more than 700 staff from 40 UK police services were deployed overseas to Operation Bracknell, the police response to the tsunami. Roles have included body recovery, repatriation of victims and investigations into victims’ last known movements.

A further 1,900 staff have been deployed across the UK in roles including Casualty Bureau, Family Liaison Officers and support to HM Coroner.

Det Supt Derek Forest of West Midlands Police, who held the post of Commander at the Information Management Centre (IMC) in Bangkok, formally handed over the operation to the Royal Thai Police after overseeing the identification of more than 3,000 victims.

The UK led the disaster victim identification operation in Sri Lanka until it finished in May 2005, and has played a huge role in the process in Thailand, holding command positions at mortuaries in Kao Lak and Phuket and key positions within the reconciliation process. The UK took command of the IMC under Det Ch Supt Nick Bracken of the Met and Det Supt Forest at the beginning of February last year, with Det Supt Forest having sole command since the end of July.

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates, who led Operation Bracknell, attended a Recognition Ceremony at the IMC in Bangkok to mark the last day of work for most of the international personnel, which reduced in size from 28 staff to five, all supporting the Royal Thai Police in specialist positions.

DAC Yates said he was “extremely proud” of the work undertaken by UK officers and staff: “The UK police service has played a pivotal role in this process and we have emerged as strong leaders, forged close friendships and further enhanced our existing skills and knowledge.

“However, today is also tinged with sadness. Despite all our efforts, we have been unable yet to identify six of the UK’s 151 victims. We are not in a position to confirm that their bodies are not among the 682 that remain unidentified, but the increasing likelihood is that their bodies were not recovered. I can only extend my deepest sympathies to their families, who have experienced such grief and distress, that we have been unable to bring them the closure that other families have had.”

More than 3,000 personnel from 31 countries including the UK have been involved in the identification process in Thailand, the largest victim identification process ever for a natural disaster and also the largest co-operation of international law enforcement agencies in such circumstances.