Three Men Jailed for Trafficking Teens to UK in Inflatable Boat
Three men who smuggled teenagers into the UK via an inflatable boat have been locked up. They were convicted of conspiracy to facilitate unlawful entry at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 6 December.
King and Dunn Get Nine Years Each, Davis Jailed for Four and a Half
- Christian King, 38, from Worcester Park, was found guilty after trial and sentenced to nine years.
- Henry Dunn, 38, from Sevenoaks, denied involvement but was convicted for being part of an organised crime network and later found guilty of conspiracy on retrial. He also received a nine-year sentence.
- James Davis, 31, from New Malden, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years and six months.
How the Smuggling Operation Worked
The Met’s Specialist Crime Command launched an intelligence-led hunt. Officers used covert tactics to track the gang trafficking four Vietnamese males – teens aged 14, 15, 16 and one aged 23 – across Europe.
Davis and King were spotted near Dymchurch and Hastings in early November 2017, scouting beaches for a launch point with an inflatable boat clipped to their vehicle. Phone records showed King was in constant contact with Dunn.
On 7 November, Davis took the boat from Dymchurch across the Channel to Boulogne, about 45 miles away. There, four Vietnamese males were bundled aboard and smuggled back to the UK, landing near Folkestone, Kent.
Davis then helped the teenagers into a waiting car. Police stopped the vehicle on the M20 motorway and arrested the men on the spot. Three teen victims were placed with social services. The 23-year-old victim revealed he had been trafficked against his will and forced into servitude in France before being smuggled.
Dangerous Boat Put Lives at Risk
The inflatable boat was found to be a death trap. The Met’s Marine Police Unit said it was in poor shape, lacked warning lights or emergency radios, and had a battery dangerously positioned next to the fuel tank, risking explosion. Flares were out of date and there were no life jackets on board.
Detective Superintendent Neil Ballard said: “The victims were young, vulnerable males trafficked through Europe and forced into a terrifying and dangerous journey across the Channel on a flimsy boat under cover of night.”
Judge Lees slammed the gang’s greed for risking young lives. She praised the officers and international partners who stopped the smugglers. The Met vows to keep hunting organised crime groups profiting from human trafficking and modern slavery.
