People Smuggler Busted in Bexhill as NCA Cracks International Gang
Vietnamese Crime Boss Nabbed on UK Soil
A notorious people smuggler from Vietnam has been arrested in East Sussex. Khan Chan, 39, also known as Khanh Ngoc Nguyen, was a key player in an organised crime gang that trafficked migrants from Vietnam into the UK.
French prosecutors say Chan’s gang operated between 2015 and 2017, moving migrants through France and across the Channel ports by lorry. Their journey often ended either in the UK or other European countries.
Convicted in France, Caught in Bexhill
Chan was convicted in absentia by a Paris court in September 2019 and sentenced to eight years behind bars. Initially thought to be hiding in London, National Crime Agency (NCA) detectives tracked him down to an address in Bexhill-on-Sea.
He was arrested on January 16 under a European Arrest Warrant and remains in custody awaiting extradition.
NCA Vows to Crush People Smugglers
“We believe Chan was a significant player in an organised crime group responsible for smuggling migrants across the globe,” said Steve Reynolds, head of organised immigration crime operations at the NCA.
“Working with our partners in France, we managed to locate him here in the UK and will now seek his extradition so he can serve a prison sentence for offences he has already been convicted of in a French court.”
“People smugglers treat migrants like commodities. The tragic Essex incident last year showed how little regard these gangs have for human life. We’re determined to dismantle these criminal networks.”
Next Steps
Khan Chan is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. He faces extradition to France where he will serve his sentence for people smuggling offences.
