Police in the southern province of Phu Yen on Sept. 8 announced that 59 people from mainland China and Taiwan who have been convicted of international internet fraud are to be expelled from the country and banned from returning for five years.

Colonel Nguyen Trung Nghia of the Phu Yen Public Security Department said they will also have to pay a fine of 59,000 USD.

The group were caught committing internet and telephone fraud on September 5. They are thought to have defrauded innocent Chinese civilians out of up to 500,000 yuan.

Police are also investigating three Vietnamese people involved in the case./.