On Monday, a nationwide online conference to review crime prevention and control over the last 6 months and to identify key tasks for the remaining months of this year was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister for Public Security, Senior Lieutenant General Le Quy Vuong, said that human trafficking has been extensive and become even more complicated over the last 6 months.  There were a total of 259 reported crimes of human trafficking, involving 333 offenders and 496 victims, an increase of 14% year-on-year in the number of cases and 12% year-on-year in that of victims.

Deputy Minister Phuc chairing the nationwide online conference

Deputy Minister Vuong remarked that Lao Cai was top in the number of human trafficking cases with 20, followed by Ha Giang on 18, Lai Chau and Hai Duong both on 17, Nam Dinh on 12, Ha Noi on 8, Son La on 7, and Nghe An, Lang Son, Kien Giang and Dong Thap on 6.

Deputy Minister Vuong said that human trafficking offenders tricked Vietnamese workers, especially women, to go abroad for work through a form of labour export or illegal marriage brokering.  Then, they seized their victims’ passports and identity papers and made them work in forced labour or sexual abuse situations. 

During the review period, the national relevant agencies investigated 168 cases of human trafficking, accounting for 65% of the total number of criminal cases, and arrested 286 suspects.

Deputy Minister Phuc stressed the need for the Police Ministry to launch sweeping raids against all kinds of crimes, especially robbery, illegal debt collection, violent offences and organised criminal gangs.