COVENTRY, UK — Twin brothers from Coventry are among five members of an organised crime group who have been jailed for smuggling hundreds of Vietnamese migrants into the UK and laundering more than £1.6 million in proceeds from the operation.

Vinh Van Nguyen and Quang Van Nguyen, both 31, were described as the leaders of the group, which arranged journeys for migrants from Vietnam to Europe and then onward to the UK.

The five men were sentenced to a combined total of almost 40 years at Liverpool Crown Court on September 15.

Vinh and Quang advertised people-smuggling services from Vietnam to Europe through social media. In Facebook messages, Vinh described the operation as an “end-to-end service.”

After migrants reached France, their passports were taken by members of the group in a practice described as debt bondage. The migrants were then transported to the UK by small boats and lorries.

Once in Britain, many were placed in workplaces, including nail bars, to repay the cost of their journeys. Their earnings were then collected by the group and transferred to accounts controlled by the suspects in Vietnam.

£16,700 in Cash and 220 Passports Seized

Quang was arrested by West Midlands Police in Birmingham city centre on September 11, 2025, after officers became suspicious of his behaviour as he emerged from the driver’s seat of a parked car.

A search of the vehicle uncovered more than £16,700 in cash, 220 Vietnamese passports and receipts relating to money transfers.

A subsequent investigation linked most of the transactions to Quang and other members of the group.

The suspects included Vinh, Van Huy Nguyen, 23, from Rotherham; Lia-Chien Trong, 34; and Sy Trai Ho, 28, both of whom had no fixed UK address.

Investigators said money transfers connected to the group took place over a 15-month period between July 2024 and October 2025.

Messages Revealed Details of the Operation

Messages exchanged through the Zalo app between Vinh and Huy, who used the nickname “Gucci,” included discussions about moving migrants and possible travel routes.

The conversations also included advertisements for journeys from Vietnam to the UK costing around $20,000 per person.

In another Facebook Messenger conversation between Vinh and an individual between October 2024 and July 2025, Vinh referred to migrants as “chickens” and discussed transporting them to the UK by truck.

The National Crime Agency said the language used by members of the group demonstrated the way they viewed the migrants they were transporting.

Nearly 40 Years in Prison

At Liverpool Crown Court on September 15, Vinh Van Nguyen was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison.

Quang Van Nguyen received nine years and nine months, while Van Huy Nguyen was sentenced to seven years and two months.

Lia-Chien Trong was jailed for six years, and Sy Trai Ho received a four-year prison sentence.

A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said the large number of passports seized demonstrated the scale of the operation.

The agency said migrants faced further exploitation after arriving in the UK, with many working in the informal economy under debt-bondage arrangements.

The NCA added that it would continue working with international partners, including authorities in France and Belgium, to target organised immigration crime networks.

The agency said it currently has more than 100 investigations into individuals or networks suspected of involvement in people smuggling.

SOURCE: Central News / National Crime Agency, September 15, 2026.