Two smugglers face deportation after running lucrative illegal migration operation in the UK

31 March 2026 , 15:30

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Two smugglers face deportation after running lucrative illegal migration operation in the UK

A U.K. court has sentenced two Vietnamese nationals to more than a decade in prison each for running a lucrative people-smuggling operation advertised on Facebook.

Hop Nguyen, 36, received a 12-year sentence, while Hoang Nguyen, 25, was sentenced to 10 and a half years. Both men, who pleaded guilty in August, also face deportation.

Operating from January 2023 until their arrest in April 2024, the pair helped at least 250 migrants enter the U.K. via small boat crossings. By charging approximately 3,000 British pounds ($3,963) per person, they generated nearly 750,000 pounds ($990,848) in profit. Crown Prosecution Service officials described the pair as part of an international organized crime network attempting to undermine the country’s borders.

Elizabeth Baker

Technology & Business Editor