Full Breakdown
Vietnamese Passport Smuggling Ring Sentenced in the UK
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Convictions
Five men were sentenced after a two-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court for operating a scheme that used Vietnamese migrants’ passports as a form of debt bondage. Vinh Van Nguyen and Quang Van Nguyen, both 31 and based in Coventry, were convicted of conspiracy to assist illegal entry and of transferring criminal property. Lia-Chien Trong, 34, and Sy Trai Ho, 28, had previously pleaded guilty, while Van Huy Nguyen, 23, from Rotherham, changed his plea to guilty during the trial.
Modus Operandi
The gang intercepted Vietnamese migrants in France, confiscated their passports, and then moved the individuals to the UK in small boats and lorries. The seized passports were retained as leverage while the migrants repaid the cost of the crossing. Investigators recovered handwritten notes and receipts documenting the payments, as well as messages that referred to the migrants with the slang term “chickens.”
Financial Scope
According to the National Crime Agency (NCA), the group transferred more than £1.65 million to accounts in Vietnam through 740 transactions conducted between July 2024 and October 2025. A vehicle search in Birmingham on 11 September 2025 uncovered £16,700 in cash and 220 Vietnamese passports bundled together. Post-office money transfers across the UK were also linked to the operation.
Key Actors
- Vinh Van Nguyen – 31, Coventry; gang leader, convicted of conspiracy and property transfer.
- Quang Van Nguyen – 31, Coventry; arrested in Birmingham on 11 September 2025, convicted alongside Vinh.
- Lia-Chien Trong – 34, convicted after earlier guilty plea.
- Sy Trai Ho – 28, convicted after earlier guilty plea.
- Van Huy Nguyen – 23, Rotherham; changed plea to guilty during trial.
- Sara-Jayne Moore – NCA branch commander; provided operational details and commentary.
Official Response
NCA branch commander Sara-Jayne Moore said the gang showed “no qualms” about transporting migrants for profit and that the language in recovered messages demonstrated a callous attitude toward the people they smuggled. She added that many migrants continued to face hardship in the UK while working to repay debts linked to their journeys. The agency highlighted the case as an example of organized criminal exploitation of vulnerable migrants.