Two people smugglers have been convicted for ferrying Vietnamese migrants hidden in lorries into the UK. The National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested 36-year-old Duc Quang Ta from Reading and 58-year-old Sarfaraz Sardarzehi from London in September 2020 after discovering migrants stashed in vehicles during traffic stops.
Criminal Network Ran Secret Migrant Ferry Routes
The pair were part of a crime ring that shipped migrants across via ferries and the Channel Tunnel. Once on British soil, migrants were swiftly moved away from the south coast by car to dodge the Border Force. Ta acted as the organiser, coordinating transport, drivers, safe houses, and migrants. Sardarzehi was the go-to “taxi driver,” ferrying migrants and cash internally.
Between 18 August and 6 September 2020, Ta was involved in 16 migrant transports or attempts. Sardarzehi helped with three. In total, 22 migrants made it into the UK during this period, though the network’s reach was likely wider.
Encrypted Chats Reveal Coded Criminal Language
The gang used encrypted apps and coded slang to stay undercover. Migrants were called “siblings,” “chicken,” or “pork.” Police were “dogs,” refrigerated trucks nicknamed “fridges,” ferries described as “water,” money as “paper,” and vehicles as “horses.”
Cash, Cars and Cunning: Police Cracked Their Operation
On 3 September 2020, Surrey Police and Thames Valley Police stopped Ta in a BMW X5 on the M25 near Leatherhead. They found him illegally in the UK, along with £56,020 stuffed in a plastic bag and £1,000 in his pocket. A phone seized showed messages about handing over cash to conspirators involved in smuggling migrants in HGVs to Gillingham, where migrants would be whisked away to safe houses.
The next day in Birmingham, Sardarzehi was caught driving a silver Vauxhall Corsa with migrants in tow. He first claimed he was just giving them a lift, but later admitted he knew they were illegal migrants.
The NCA’s follow-up probe revealed the criminal network spanned Europe, South East England, and the Midlands. Migrants paid large sums and waited in safe houses, mostly in Belgium, before climbing into lorries headed for the UK.
Guilty Verdicts for Smuggling and Money Laundering
After a three-week trial, a Birmingham Crown Court jury found Ta and Sardarzehi guilty of people smuggling and money laundering on 23 February. Both men were bailed and face sentencing on 10 July.
This crackdown highlights the ongoing battle against ruthless smuggling rings exploiting vulnerable migrants in the UK.
