Si and Do re-enact at the scene of the crime. (Photo courtesy of Lao Cai Newspaper) These individuals are said to have befriended their victims via social media platforms, engaging them in romantic liaisons. After building trust, the culprits invite the victims to their homes, entertain them with sightseeing trips, and subsequently organise their illicit transportation across the border, leading to their sale.
On July 11, a victim, Ly Thi M., 20, made a report to the International Border Control Station in Lao Cai. She claimed to have been deceived by a group of individuals and subsequently transported to China to be sold. M. is a member of the Mong ethnic group, living in Mu Cang Chai district of Yen Bai province.
Based on the victim's report, the Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard Command assigned investigators to handle the case.
On July 28, the Lao Cai Border Guards Command summoned the individuals for questioning.
The suspects are Thao A Do, 35, Sung A Si, 50, and Hoang Thi Duyen, 32, all living in Lao Cai.
In mid-May 2023, the suspects reached an agreement with a Chinese man named Pao to find and transport women to China for sale.
After the agreement was made, Duyen contacted Si to find the victims. Si agreed and informed Thao A Do that each woman they sold could yield around 10-20 million VND (421-842 USD), which they would share among themselves. Do agreed to the plan.
Through Facebook, Do got to know M. and began to court her. Do claimed he wanted to marry M. and on July 10, he invited M. to visit his home in Lao Cai.
Do told M. that his family ran a clothing store in China, but his real intention was to deceive her and take her to China for sale. M. agreed to go along with the plan.
Subsequently, Do rode his motorbike to Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province, to pick up M. and take her to Lao Cai.
Do then contacted his accomplices to arrange travel documents for M.'s journey to China and handed her over to Si and Duyen for the necessary procedures to cross the border.
Once all the paperwork was completed, Duyen personally took M. to exit the country through the border gate and handed her over to Pao on the Chinese side.
Upon arriving at Pao's lodging in Hekou, China, M. realised that she had been deceived and decided to take advantage of a moment of carelessness from Pao to take her travel documents back and escape back to Vietnam through the border gate.
M. then reported the incident and exposed the individuals.
Based on M.'s report and the investigation, on July 31, 2023, the Border Guard Command of Lao Cai province decided to initiate criminal proceedings and conduct further investigations into the case./.
VNA
