Five people have been convicted in the United Kingdom (UK) for running a smuggling network transporting Vietnamese migrants into the country and laundering over EUR 1.8 million in cash. The convictions follow an international investigation involving UK, Belgian and French authorities, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol.
The investigation began after French customs officers seized a package containing 22 Vietnamese passports. The passports belonged to migrants travelling from France to the UK by small boats and lorries. The migrants were charged up to EUR 20 000 for the journey. Those unable to pay were forced to work for the criminal group in so-called ‘debt bondage’. Criminal proceeds of over EUR 1.8 million were laundered back to Vietnam through over 800 bank transactions.
Following the arrest of five suspects, investigators spent more than 15 months tracing the laundered money through money transfer bureaus. Forensic examination of the phones seized during the arrests uncovered messages about the smuggling operation. Messages sent via social media channels revealed the group discussing prices, flights, routes and vehicles used to smuggle the migrants. The messages also detailed the various workplaces where the migrants were forced to work under debt bondage.
Authorities arrested the suspects in late 2025. Following further investigation, the case went to trial in August 2026, with sentencing taking place on 14 and 15 September. The five suspects have been convicted to sentences ranging from 12 years to 4 years for facilitating the smuggling of migrants and 8 to 2 years for money laundering.
International judicial cooperation was key to the success of the investigation. Eurojust coordinated the cooperation through a joint investigation team (JIT) involving Belgian, French and UK authorities. The JIT enabled fast, effective and efficient collaboration, as well as the smooth exchange of information and evidence. During a coordinated action day in March 2026, a further 16 suspects were arrested in France and 3 in the UK.
The actions were carried out by the following authorities:
- Belgium: Investigating Judge of the Court of First Instance of West Flanders; Federal Public Prosecution Office; Federal Judicial Police of West Flanders
- France: Investigative Judge and Public Prosecution Office of the Court of Bobigny; Central Office Against Migrant Smuggling Roissy (OLTIM)
- United Kingdom: Crown Prosecution Service; National Crime Agency
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union