Da Nang police are now conducting an investigation into a group of four Chinese nationals who have been found having illegally entered Viet Nam. The latest case marked the second detection of illegal Chinese migrants, continuing sparking public deep concerns over COVID-19 transmission in Viet Nam from such border jumpers.

On Sunday, Da Nang traffic police officers were patrolling as usual when they noticed a seven-seater car travelling through Hai Van Tunnel showing some suspicious signs.

Having pulled the detected vehicle over for inspection, the police found out that four Chinese passengers and two Vietnamese drivers were inside.

The four Chinese passengers, consisting of three men and one woman, showed their ID cards, but all of them could not present any documents proving their legal entry into Viet Nam.

One of the drivers, 29-year-old Dinh Xuan Hien hailing from northern Thai Binh Province, admitted to have been hired to carry Chinese passengers from Ha Noi to HCM City for 20 million VND (871US$).

The driver has been ordered to pay an administrative fine for carrying passengers in a car without a mandatory badge.

Compulsory COVID-19 prevention measures have already been put in place in all of the van’s passengers, and their swab samples have been taken for coronavirus testing.

The investigation of the aforementioned case is now underway to clarify whether and how these Chinese nationals entered Viet Nam.

Earlier on 21 December, Da Nang traffic police officers detected a group of six Chinese suspected of unlawfully entering Viet Nam.

Amidst the globally complicated COVID-19 crisis, special heed is now paid to detecting and handling any illegal border jumpers possibly bringing the deadly coronavirus into Viet Nam, in the context that anyone granted entry is required to undergo compulsory quarantine of 14 days upon arrival. 

On 26 December, a Vietnamese who illegally crossed the border from Cambodia was confirmed as the country’s latest COVID-19 patient.

Viet Nam has temporarily halted entry to all foreigners since 22 March, citing deep concerns over the spread of the complicated COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese government merely allows entry to skilled workers, experts, diplomats, and Vietnamese repatriates in dire situations, and all of them are completely subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

As stipulated in the Vietnamese laws, any foreigners who enter Viet Nam illicitly or stay in the country illegally must undergo medical examinations and epidemiological investigations before being sent back to their home country.

By L. HUNG- Translated by A.T