In recent years, Da Nang has seen an increase in the number of criminals who are foreigners, including Chinese nationals. Growing complicated, this problem has caused adverse impacts on the security across the central city. In a great effort to address this matter of deep concern, the police forces have been taking proper measures to crack down on foreign criminals. 

Exhibits from a recent criminal case being seized by the police officiers

According to the municipal Tourism Department, recent years have seen a boom in the number of Chinese people coming to Da Nang. Last year, 582,637 Chinese people were granted temporary residence permit. Since the start of this year, this figure has climbed to 505,866.

Colonel Tran Muu, Deputy Director of the municipal Police Department, said, many Chinese people have managed to stay in the city to commit crimes, mainly involved in cyber gambling rackets and other criminal acts.

In 2018, local polices discovered and fined 111 Chinese people a total of more than 1.1 billion VND. So far this year, the number of Chinese suspects has increased to 292 facing over 4.3 billion VND in fines.

Since the start of 2018, more than 500 Chinese nationals have been expelled to their hometowns for having violated entry purposes. It is worth noting that 35 of them were wanted by China and 20 had criminal records of past convictions.

In June, 2019, police forces cooperated with the Ministry of Public Security to handle 35 Chinese citizens who came to Viet Nam on tourist visas but rented houses in the city and showed signs of organising gambling for their countrymen over the Internet. Twenty of the 35 were criminals and some were wanted by China.

More recently, on 15 September, 34 Chinese people were found renting a hotel in Da Nang to conduct illegal market manipulation activities in China.

According to law enforcement agencies, in recent years, the Chinese government has launched many anti-crime sweeps. Therefore, many Chinese criminals have managed to enter neighbouring countries, mainly via tourism visas, to commit crimes.

According to local lawyer Do Phap, foreign crinmals usually take advantaged of loopholes in Viet Nam’s legal system, whilst immigration management is still loose. He underlined a must-do to tighten the management of foreigners residing in the city in a uniform and consistent manner, on the basis of the Vietnamese laws.

In his perspectives, Major General Vu Xuan Vien, Director of the municipal Police Department, affirmed the fact that the city always welcome foreigners who come here to travel and do business, but they must strictly comply with the Vietnamese laws and regulations. In order to strengthen the management of foreigners more effectively, the law enforcement agency has given suggestions to the city leaders about promulgate specific regulations on strengthen the State management over foreigners’ entry into, exit from, transit through and residence in the city.

In his point of view, Colonel Tran Muu said, there is no other way than to tighten the control of hotels, private apartments for lease where foreigners stay in order to eliminate any their law violations, and strictly handle these offending cases in line with the Vietnamese laws.

In related news, the Police Department has recently prosecuted 5 Chinese suspects for 5 Chinese men and 1 Vietnamese woman for hiring young women to perform sexual acts to produce pornography materials to post on social network in mid-September.

Municipal People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho (4th , right) presenting the reward to representatives from the Criminal Investigation Division

Previously, crime police investigators had received a report from a 15-year-old girl in Da Nang who had been lured and forced to engage in sexual acts that were live-streamed on a Chinese social network in March, 2019. Right after receiving the report, police officers on 14 September raided a house in An Hai Bac Ward, Son Tra District where the 5 Chinese men are residing.

Police officers discovered multiple photos and videos with pornographic content in many smart phones and computers in the house which these Chinese are going to post in social network.

These Chinese men are Tuong Dang Quan, Doi Hong Hi, Phuong Tuan Kiet, Truong Hue Man, Luu Tieu Duy and a 24-year-old Vietnamese woman Sam Thi Sen hailing from the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.

Through investigation, Sen admitted to having played a role as interpreter and she is responsible for seeking young girls by posting advertisements on social media. This woman seduced young girls to take part in pornographic films.

The amateur actresses were promised to be paid 700,000 VND (30US$) in 6 hours if they agree to be part of porn videos without sexual encounters and they will received 1 million VND (43$) per 6 hours if having sex. Those wanting to view their video on social network must pay through an account.

According to initial probe, 4 young girls, including an underage one, were seduced in the ring.

On Monday, 30 million VND from the city budget as bonuses was given to the Criminal Investigation Division of the municipal Police Department for detecting and smashing this ring.

Colonel Tran Muu said this newly-discovered case is particularly serious. The local police has discussed with the municipal People's Procuracy to launch a mobile court and hand the most severe penalties onto these criminals.