Men jailed for smuggling 29 Vietnamese people into Britain on yacht

Jon Ransom, Glen Bennett, Frank Walling and Keith Plummer put the group on to a small yacht before cramming them into a van.

Monday 24 February 2020 23:02, UK

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Four men have been jailed after smuggling 29 Vietnamese people into Britain on a yacht.

The victims were spotted by members of the public getting off the 42ft (13m) vessel at Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall on 12 April last year.

They were then seen being crammed into the back of a van in the harbour car park.

Four men have been jailed for smuggling 29 Vietnamese people to Britain in a yacht before cramming them into a van
Image: The 29 Vietnamese people are seen arriving at Newlyn Harbour. Pic: Devon and Cornwall Police

When police were called they reviewed CCTV footage and stopped the van on the M5 near Cullompton in Devon.

When they opened the door, they found the 29 Vietnamese people inside. The group included children.

Two of the smugglers were arrested in Newlyn Harbour and two more were detained after the van was stopped.

Judge Robert Linford, sentencing the four at Truro Crown Court, said they were motivated by profit and "traded in human misery" with the victims "carted around like freight".

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Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Glenn Willcocks said: "The vessel was in a poor state, smelling strongly of diesel and cluttered with clothing and empty food wrappings.

"The boat would have been extremely cramped with all 29 people having to share a single toilet.

The yacht (small one at the back) owned by Frank Walling, used to smuggle 29 Vietnamese people from France to Britain. Walling and three other men were jailed.
Image: The yacht (right) owned by Walling was used to smuggle the group from France. Pic: Devon and Cornwall Police

"The four convicted today risked the lives of 29 men, women and children without any appreciation of the danger of their circumstances.

"They were motivated only by monetary reward and thankfully no one paid the ultimate price."

These four men were jailed for people smuggling: Frank Walling, 72, from Colne, Glen Bennett, 55, from Burnley, Keith Plummer, 63, and Jon Ransom, 63, from Kent
Image: Frank Walling, Glen Bennett, Keith Plummer, and Jon Ransom were all jailed. Pic: Devon and Cornwall Police

Jon Ransom, 63, from Kent, Glen Bennett, 55, from Burnley, and Frank Walling, 72, from Colne, were each sentenced to four and a half years in prison, police said.

Keith Plummer, 63, was sentenced to three years and four months.

They were convicted under section 25 of the Immigration Act - assisting unlawful immigration

It is believed that the 29 victims boarded the yacht, which was owned by Walling, in Roscoff, France.

Walling and Bennett crewed the yacht, which came into Newlyn Harbour early on the morning of April 12.

Ann Hampshire, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said the trip was a "well organised operation involving people and places in different parts of the UK, carefully coordinated to facilitate illegal entry into the UK".