Three men from the Folkestone area have been convicted for their involvement in a series of botched attempts to smuggle Vietnamese migrants across the English Channel.
The reckless operation, carried out in 2018, endangered lives through the use of unseaworthy vessels and improper navigation techniques, according to investigators.
The smuggling operation unfolded over 10 days in August 2018, with five failed attempts to ferry migrants from France to the UK.
Four of these attempts were made using a vessel named Sorel Light. Each effort was thwarted due to mechanical issues or intervention by French authorities.
Freddy Lawrence, 57, and Keith Baigent, 63, both from Folkestone, alongside Paul Giglia, 64, from nearby Cheriton, masterminded the operation.
On their final attempt, French police intercepted the Sorel Light near Wimereux, thanks to intelligence provided by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Migrants were seen wading into the sea and using lights to signal the vessel. French authorities detained 11 Vietnamese migrants and two accomplices aboard the boat, as well as a twelfth migrant who had fallen into the water.
The operation involved Lawrence conspiring with accomplices Ronald Scott, Toby Lake, and Stephen Chapman. Chapman, who coordinated the effort from France, was arrested along with Scott and Lake during the final interception.
French courts sentenced the trio to prison terms ranging from one to two-and-a-half years. Lawrence, who purchased the Sorel Light for £30,000, disregarded safety advice, leading to the use of an even smaller and equally unreliable vessel after the engine of the Sorel Light failed.
To avoid detection, Lawrence employed tactics such as using pay-as-you-go phones, unregistered vehicles, and cash transactions. He was arrested in October 2018 and is already serving prison time for unrelated drug offences.
At Canterbury Crown Court last month, Lawrence pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration. Baigent and Giglia were convicted in November and await sentencing in 2025.
Dave Rock, NCA’s senior investigating officer, called the operation “a reckless enterprise” that endangered lives by navigating one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in unfit vessels.
He noted that the smugglers were willing to jeopardise human lives for profit but praised the collaboration between UK and French authorities for thwarting the scheme.
Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, reiterated the government’s commitment to dismantling smuggling networks, highlighting the dangers posed by such criminal enterprises.
She commended the NCA for its tireless efforts in bringing the perpetrators to justice and safeguarding the borders.
