Five members of an organised crime group have been sentenced to a combined 39.5 years in prison for smuggling Vietnamese migrants into the United Kingdom and laundering more than £1.65 million.
According to the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), the group was headed by twin brothers Vinh Van Nguyen and Quang Van Nguyen, who allegedly held migrants’ passports as part of a “debt bondage” scheme aimed at recovering the money paid for their journeys to the UK.
The other members of the group were identified as Van Huy Nguyen, Lia-Chien Trong and Sy Trai Ho.
During investigations, authorities recovered 220 Vietnamese passports and more than £16,700 in cash from a vehicle searched in Birmingham.
Police also found handwritten notes and money transfer receipts.
The NCA said more than £1.65 million was transferred to Vietnam through Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria Money Transfer and Post Offices between July 2024 and October 2025.
Vinh was convicted after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, while the other four defendants pleaded guilty.
Vinh was sentenced to 12 years and six months, Quang to nine years and nine months, Huy to seven years and two months, Trong to six years, and Ho to four years.
NCA branch commander Sara-Jayne Moore said the group treated migrants as a source of profit.
“This group had no qualms about transporting migrants for profit, as shown by the heartless language used to describe their human cargo,” Moore said.