An e-fit was released on Friday of the man whose body was discovered under a Tui flight from The Gambia to England last December.
British police are trying to trace anyone who might know him to formally identify the man, thought to be in either his 20s or 30s. It is not known if he is a Gambian citizen or may have come from a country in the West Africa sub-region.
The high commissioner of The Gambia in London, Interpol, and the British’s coroner’s office are all working with Sussex Police to track down his family.
Detective Inspector Darren Lillywhite of Sussex Police called on anyone who recognises the man to come forward to help the investigation.
He 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 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 happened to him.
“We hope to be able to identify him for the purpose of an inquest to be held by His Majesty’s 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 who 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 can contact Sussex Police online, quoting serial 101 of 07/12, or contact a local police force or Interpol.
