On 15/9, Nghe An provincial police detained Vi Thi Lan, 31, from Ha Tinh; Lo Thi Vuong, 32, and Lo Thi Nham, 21, both from Nga My commune, on suspicion of human trafficking under Article 150 of the penal code.

Lan, Vuong, and Nham had previously worked for a company in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. Upon returning to Vietnam in 2025, they allegedly collaborated with a transnational criminal organization to lure several people to Laos for work, receiving commissions for each person trafficked.

Suspects Lan, Vuong, and Nham (from right to left) at the police station. Photo: Hoa Vang

Suspects Lan, Vuong, and Nham (from right to left) at the police station. Photo: Hoa Vang

The three women approached several young men and women of working age, telling them about companies in Laos that were hiring and offering salaries of 15 to 18 million VND per month, promising to cover all expenses for accommodation, food, and travel.

Believing these promises, 13 people from mountainous communes in Nghe An province crossed the border into Laos. They were subsequently sold to criminal organizations running scams in the Golden Triangle. There, they were forced to impersonate government officials, postal workers, and other figures to make scam calls to Vietnam. Those who failed to meet their quotas were threatened, and anyone wanting to return home had to pay a hefty ransom.

Based on the victims' reports, Nghe An provincial police arrested Lan, Vuong, and Nham in early September.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the amount of money Lan's group received from the Laotian human trafficking organizations for each victim. The investigation is ongoing.

Duc Hung