Nail bar traffickers jailed for modern slavery offences
- Published
(L-R) Thu Nguyen, Viet Nguyen, Giang Tran
Two women and a man, described as "thoroughly devious, dishonest and manipulative", have been sentenced for modern slavery offences.
Four teenage girls were trafficked from Vietnam and forced to work in nail bars across England.
Viet Nguyen, 29, and Thu Nguyen, 48, were jailed for four and five years respectively at Stafford Crown Court.
Giang Tran, 23, received a two-year suspended sentence.
Passing sentence, Judge Chambers said the three had exploited highly vulnerable young Vietnamese women due to "pure economic greed".
The women were forced to work without wages and slept in a loft space above Nail Bar Deluxe in Bath city centre.
Det Insp Charlotte Tucker from Avon and Somerset Police said the victims were "treated by traffickers as commodities" and had "traumatic childhoods".
Police visited Nail Bar Deluxe on Westgate Street, Bath
More than £60,000 in cash was found stuffed inside a teddy bear in a wardrobe at Thu Nguyen's home in Southdown Road in Bath.
Two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were placed in the care of social services in February 2016 after a multi-agency welfare visit to the nail bar.
They later went missing and were traced to another nail bar in Burton upon Trent, where another two women, aged 16 and 17, being exploited for labour were also found at the premises.
£60,000 in cash was found inside a teddy bear at Thu Nguyen's address
On 3 November 2017, Thu Nguyen, and Viet Nguyen, of Barker Round Way, Burton upon Trent, were found guilty of arranging the transport of people with a view to exploitation.
They were also convicted of requiring others to perform forced or compulsory labour, along with Viet Nguyen's wife, Giang Tran, also of Barker Round Way, Burton upon Trent.
- Published3 November 2017
