Trio re-arrested after people smuggling probe

Three men, alleged to be part of an organised people smuggling group have been re-arrested following an investigation.

The trio, aged between 27 and 33-years-old, had been on remand at a Liverpool prison before prosecutors arrested them on suspicion of transporting Vietnamese migrants to the UK in lorries and small boats, the National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed.

A 31-year-old man from a prison in Birmingham and a 22-year-old man at an address in Rotherham were also arrested as part of the investigation.

The NCA confirmed the five individuals had been involved in trafficking migrants to the UK since 2024, adding they hold the genuine Vietnamese passports of those trafficked as a form of debt.

NCA branch commander Jon Hughes said this makes up near 100 ongoing investigations on people "directly involved" in journeys from Europe to British shores.

"People smugglers have no regard about the welfare of those they transport. They purely see human beings as commodities to make money from", he said.

The NCA's investigation is ongoing.

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