Birmingham man jailed for breaching slavery order after police find 'Vietnamese men' in hidden staircase

Ziyao Gao, 54, was jailed last week following his arrest on June 10, when he was pulled over by police in Gooch Street, Birmingham.

Officers from West Midlands Police's Operation Fearless, who are working to tackle crime in the Southside area of the city, carried out checks on Gao where it was revealed that he had already been arrested for breaching a slavery and trafficking risk order (STRO) in April 2024.

A large amount of counterfeit Chinese cigarettes called ‘Chunghwa’ were found in the car and several credit cards that were not in Gao’s name, meaning he had breached his STRO.

Several pieces of paper with multiple phone numbers and addresses on, 30 sets of keys and parcels addressed to multiple addresses with Gao’s name on were also discovered. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and for breaching his order.

Investigations by Birmingham’s Serious Organised Crime and Exploitation team (SOCEX) along with Op Fearless, resulted in the teams uncovering three breaches by Gao over a lengthy period of time.

Gao, who also went by the name George, was handed a STRO on May 20, 2024 after being previously arrested for human trafficking in Birmingham.

A search was carried out at a disused supermarket that Gao had been seen leaving.  

As officers searched the premises, they found a hidden staircase behind a door. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, two Vietnamese men were found hiding.

They were subsequently safeguarded. Gao had been paying the men with cigarettes while exploiting them as they worked for him.

Several properties in Birmingham that were connected to Gao were searched and three people were arrested for immigration offences.

Some of these properties had been modified to fit several small bedrooms, many with poor living conditions.

Gao claimed to sublet one of these properties, claiming he didn’t know what was going on. But investigations showed that he was exploiting many of the people living inside them and controlling them.

One man said that he paid Gao for a room via bank transfer, which breached the conditions of Gao’s STRO.

in July, Gao pleaded guilty and last Friday was sentenced to two years in prison.

PC George Anstey from Birmingham’s SOCEX, said : “Gao has been well known to us for some time and has continued with his illegal practices throughout, showing a lack of moral compass. He also tried to minimise his actions against others as simply trying to survive.  This means he is surviving on other people’s misery at great financial profit to himself.

"Now that he will be in prison for the foreseeable future, I would like to think 24 months is enough time to think about his actions and the consequences that have now followed.

“SOCEX and Op Fearless worked tirelessly to uncover the truth behind what we see day to day, and we are glad a conviction has been secured.”

Det Insp Tom Lyons from Op Fearless, said: “Gao exploits people for his own gains and doesn't care about the welfare of these people. I'm glad we've got justice for all of the people he has exploited and tried to exploit.

"I hope this sentence sends out a strong message to those involved in this crime, that the Op Fearless Team will pursue anyone that is involved in serious and organised crime, take action and get justice.

"Operation Fearless, which launched in the Southside area of the city earlier this month, brings a focused police presence to tackle everything from anti-social behaviour and retail crime, to drug dealing and organised crime."

Fearless also works with partners such as the council and transport companies to improve the quality of life for people who live, work and visit the area.

Find out more about Fearless in Southside Operation Fearless | West Midlands Police

Operation Fearless was launched in Southside in April to tackle everything from violence, to drugs and exploitation in the area.