On 26/8, Luo Shenghua and 3 others were arrested and charged by Ho Chi Minh City police with unlawful detention.
The investigation began last week when Lai Thieu Ward Police (formerly Thu Duc City) received information from the South Korean Embassy in Vietnam about 3 citizens being held against their will. The Criminal Police Department launched an investigation, involving multiple units, and located the victims in the Emerald Golf View apartment complex.
Police raided the apartment, rescuing the 3 South Koreans and arresting 2 guards. The victims said they were looking for work and were contacted through social media by an account promising high-paying jobs in Vietnam.
The advertisement enticed them to send their passport photos in exchange for airfare and local transportation. Trusting the offer, the 3 South Koreans complied and arrived in Vietnam on 14/8.
From Tan Son Nhat Airport, they were taken to a hotel in Thuan Giao Ward (formerly Binh Duong), and then to an apartment in the Emerald Golf View complex. There, Luo Shenghua and his accomplices demanded the victims sell their bank accounts or pay 4.5 million Won (approximately 80 million VND) in "expenses" for their return to South Korea.
Investigators determined that Luo Shenghua orchestrated the operation and hired Vong Quang Tuan (41, from Dong Nai), Nguyen Thanh Phuc (38, from Can Tho), and Le Van Kieu (25, from Ca Mau) to guard the apartment. The accomplices were paid between 500,000 and 1,000,000 VND per day by their Chinese employer.
Ho Chi Minh City police are coordinating with other provinces and cities to further investigate the sophisticated operation, which involves luring foreigners into Vietnam under false pretenses and coercing them, posing a serious threat to security and order.
Quoc Thang
