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Five men jailed for migrant passport 'debt bondage' scheme
Twin brothers and three associates jailed for £1.6m migrant passport money laundering scheme.
In brief
Twin brothers and three associates jailed for £1.6m migrant passport money laundering scheme. Three Vietnamese nationals and two brothers jailed for using migrants' passports as debt bondage in £1.6m money laundering scheme. Originally reported by Dailymail.
Who was jailed
Five men were jailed for using migrants' passports as debt bondage in a £1.6m money laundering scheme.
Who led the scheme
Twin brothers Vinh and Quang Van Nguyen ran the migrant passport smuggling operation.
How they operated
They lured Vietnamese asylum seekers with Facebook ads promising end-to-end European migration services.
Where they smuggled
Migrants were smuggled into the UK via France using small boats or lorries.
Passport theft
They confiscated migrants' passports before transporting them to the UK.
Debt bondage
Migrants were forced to work under debt bondage arrangements after passport theft.
Money laundering
Over £1 million was transferred to Vietnam through 740 transactions between July 2:024 and October 2025.
Evidence found
Police found 220 Vietnamese passports and £16,700 cash in Quang's car.
Money transfers
Cash transactions occurred across Coventry, Luton, Wigan, Liverpool, Leeds, Leamington Spa and Rugby.
Gang slang
The gang referred to migrants as 'chickens' in messages.
French discovery
French customs intercepted a package with 22 Vietnamese passports at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Other arrests
Lia-Chien Trong, Sy Trai Ho and Van Huy Nguyen were arrested in October and February 2025.
Court verdict
Vinh received 12 years and six months, Quang nine years and nine months, Huy seven years and two months, Trong six years and Ho four years and six months.
NCA statement
The NCA said migrants faced further misery under debt bondage arrangements after arrival in the UK.
International cooperation
Police worked with French and Belgian authorities to pursue the crime group.
What happens next
The NCA will continue working with international partners to bring the criminals to justice.
What matters most
Three Vietnamese nationals and two brothers jailed for using migrants' passports as debt bondage in £1.6m money laundering scheme.
