A large-scale people-smuggling network, responsible for bringing hundreds of individuals into Britain using stolen and doctored passports, has been dismantled, leading to the conviction of its mastermind, Lamin Manneh, 51. The criminal enterprise, which operated for over three years until 2024, generated an estimated £2 million through a comprehensive service that included providing forged travel documents, arranging flights, and securing housing and illicit employment.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the precise number of individuals trafficked into the UK, primarily from Gambia, remains unknown but is believed to be in the hundreds. Manneh, formerly a delivery driver, managed the operation by obtaining genuine Gambian passports belonging to individuals who already possessed visas or residency permits. These passports were then altered to replace the original holder's photograph with that of a paying migrant.
The court was informed that genuine passports and visas were modified and sold for over £5,000 each. These altered documents allowed migrants to board international flights and present themselves at British airports under false identities. Some passports were reportedly reused multiple times with different photographs inserted.
Manneh was sentenced to six years and eight months after admitting to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering. He was already serving a six-year sentence for similar offenses imposed in 2024. The full extent of the racket came to light when authorities analyzed devices linked to Manneh, revealing images of 569 different passports and travel documents.
Prosecutors estimate the operation generated between £1 million and £2 million. Six other individuals were sentenced to a combined total of over 22 years for their roles in the conspiracy. Among those convicted were Manneh's wife, Mariama Jallow, 46, who allegedly handled travel bookings, and Ida Chow, 40, who managed the financial aspects, with over £400,000 credited to her bank account despite declaring minimal annual earnings.
The scheme began to unravel in early 2024 when two men, Alieu Gaye and Ebrima Sonko, were apprehended at Manchester Airport with forged documents. Evidence from their phones linked them to Manneh, leading to his initial 2024 conviction. The investigation later uncovered the broader scale of the operation.
The court detailed instances where stolen passports were utilized, including that of Ousman Ndong, a deceased Gambian man with British citizenship, whose passport was used to bring three migrants into the UK. Another victim was Sambujan Gassama, a British Army soldier whose passport was stolen during a burglary in Gambia and subsequently used by illegal entrants.
Police and immigration officers made several arrests in July 2025. Searches of Manneh and Jallow's residence uncovered cash, identity cards, passport scans, bank cards, and passport photographs. Manneh, who obtained British citizenship after moving to the UK in 2007, was convicted alongside Alieu Barry, Sulayman Samatah, Pa Sanneh, Musu Sanyang, and Mariama Jallow. Barry received a 72-month sentence, Sanneh 25 months, Sanyang 31 months, Chow 44 months, Samatah 36 months, and Jallow 59 months.