Dak Lak (VNA) – The Police Investigation Agency of the central province of Dak Lak has decided to initiate criminal proceedings against Vo Quoc Toai, born in 1990 and residing in Tuy Hoa ward, for "organising illegal exit for others" under Clause 1, Article 348 of the Penal Code. He has also been banned from leaving his place of residence.
According to investigators, in April 2025, while operating at sea, fishing vessel PY-96896-TS, captained by Toai, allegedly removed its vessel monitoring system (VMS) device and transferred it to fishing vessel PY-90479-TS, captained by his younger brother, in an attempt to evade supervision and tracking by the Vietnam fisheries surveillance force. Toai then steered his vessel into Philippine waters with four fishermen to carry out illegal fishing.
Vessel PY-96896-TS was later seized by Philippine authorities on May 9, 2025. Upon receiving information about the incident, the Dak Lak provincial People’s Committee sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aking for support, information and protection measures for the detained fishermen.
On August 15, the Department of Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance was informed that the vessel had been fined 500,000 PHP (approximately 8,578 USD).
After Vietnamese authorities assisted in bringing the fishermen home, the provincial People’s Committee assigned the Public Security Department to receive the five fishermen, take their statements, and verify violations committed by the captain, as well as the roles and responsibilities of relevant individuals, for strict handling in accordance with Vietnamese law.
The case has been reported to the Prime Minister and the National Steering Committee on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Further investigation is underway./.
