Three guilty of trafficking teens to work in nail bars
- Published
Cash in excess of £60,000 was found at Thu Nguyen's home
Three people who trafficked four teenage girls from Vietnam and forced them to work in nail bars across England have been convicted.
Married couple Viet Nguyen, 29, and Giang Tran, 23, of Barker Round Way, Burton upon Trent, denied exploiting the girls.
However, they were convicted along with a third defendant, Thu Nguyen, 48, of Southdown Road, Bath.
Sentencing will take place on 2 January at Stafford Crown Court.
'Abuse'
The investigation, which involved five police forces, began after officers visited Nail Bar Deluxe on Westgate Street, Bath, in February 2016 which was managed by Thu Nguyen, known as Jenny.
They found two teenage girls, aged 17 and 18, working there who were taken into care but went missing shortly afterwards.
"Unfortunately this is a common occurrence in trafficking cases, as victims are conditioned to feel reliant on those controlling them and compelled to return to them," said Det Insp Charlotte Tucker from Avon and Somerset Police.
The girls were traced to the Birmingham area and one was eventually found in a nail bar in the Abbey Arcade, Burton.
A further two teenage girls, aged 16 and 17, were also found at the premises.
Police visited Nail Bar Deluxe on Westgate Street, Bath
"The victims, who are all Vietnamese, have had traumatic childhoods and were treated by traffickers as commodities - forced to live and work in unsuitable conditions, with little or no pay, and enduring both physical and verbal abuse," said Det Insp Tucker.
Cash in excess of £60,000 in £50 notes was found stuffed inside a teddy bear in a wardrobe at Thu Nguyen's home.
Both Thu Nguyen and Viet Nguyen, who is known as Ken, was found guilty of arranging the transport of people with a view to exploitation while all three defendants were convicted of requiring others to perform forced or compulsory labour.
Viet Nguyen and Thu Nguyen were remanded in custody. Giang Tran was granted conditional bail.