A 48-year-old woman from Bath was charged with human trafficking offences, and appeared at Cannock Magistrates’ Court in Staffordshire yesterday morning.
Thu Huong Nguyen, of Southdown Road, was charged with the following offences:
- Between 1st January 2016 and 8th March 2017 at Staffordshire and elsewhere, conspiring with persons unknown to control other persons for the purposes of labour exploitation.
- Jointly with others between 1st January 2016 and 8th March 2017, conspiring intentionally to arrange or facilitate the movement in the UK of females to control them in labour exploitation.
- Between 1st January 2016 and 7th March 2017 at a property in Southdown Road in Bath, became concerned in an arrangement which facilitated the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property (cash in excess of £60,000).
Nguyen appeared before Cannock Magistrates’ Court in Staffordshire.
Her arrest on Tuesday relates to the human trafficking investigation launched by Avon and Somerset Police in February 2016 following a multi-agency welfare visit to a nail bar in Bath city centre.
The investigation has since widened to other areas of the country as a result of the enquiries and further co-ordinated police operations also took place on Tuesday morning in Staffordshire, Cheltenham and London.
Det Insp Charlotte Tucker, of North East Investigations, said: “This nationwide inquiry stemmed from a multi-agency welfare check we carried out a nail bar in Bath city centre just over a year ago.
“We’re working closely with our police colleagues in Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and London, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service, to investigate what we believe to be human trafficking and modern slavery offences involving nail bars.
“We’ve identified four female victims who have been referred into a national process specifically for victims and suspected victims of Modern Slavery crimes