The Da Nang court upheld jail terms totalling 36 years for seven Vietnamese and Chinese defendants who were convicted of brokering others to enter and stay unlawfully in Viet Nam, pursuant to the Vietnamese Penal Code. These culprits organised 14 Chinese nationals to illegally enter and dwell in Da Nang for Internet gambling rings.

The defendants at the Thursday trial

The indictment against the seven offenders was announced at the Thursday trial at the Da Nang People’s Court, which caught a great deal of public attention.

Nguyen Thi Yen, along with Chinese defendants, namely Xiao Hai Hong, Chen Jia Wen, Wei Jian Xiao, Wen Pei and Xiao Bing Bing, were prosecuted for “organising others to enter Viet Nam illegally”. In addition, Yen and Le Thi Toan a native of Ha Tinh Province were charged of “illegally organising others to stay in Viet Nam”.

According to police probe, in mid-May 2020, via WeChat, Xiao Hai Hong was recommended by his friends to organise a group of Chinese people to enter Viet Nam illegally for online gambling activities with a monthly salary of 8,000 yuan.

Xiao Hai Hong, through the assistance of Yen and Toan, rented houses at 88 Ha Ky Ngo and 20 Nguyen Duc An, Son Tra District, to offer lodging for Chinese border jumpers without legitimate visas and passports.

On May 27, 2020, Xiao Hai Hong illegally entered Da Nang and took residence in Son Tra District.

From June 25 to July 18, 2020, Xiao Hai Hong colluded with Yen to organise four groups with a total of 14 Chinese people to illegally enter Viet Nam. Chen Jia Wen, Wei Jian, Xiao Wen Pei and Xiao Bing Bing helped Xiao Hai Hong conducting this unlawful act.

Toan was in charge of arranging accommodation for the 14 illegal Chinese immigrants, whilst Yen bought phones and SIM cards for them so that they could seduce others to illegally gamble on the internet for money.

Yen and Toan illegally pocketed VND10 million and VND 51 million VND, respectively in the collection of rental accommodation fees from the Chinese border jumpers. Also, Yen herself earned an illegal profit of 1.7 million VND from the sale of SIM cards.

In addition, although knowing that Wang Qing Lin and Su Jin Shu did not have a passports or visas, Yen and Toan still facilitated the duo to dwell illegally in the district and earned VND 9 million and VND 110 million respectively worth of illegal profit. 

In the end, Xiao Hai Hong was sentence 10 years in jail, whilst Yen with ten and a half years, Toan seven years, Chen Jia Wen 2 years, Wei Jian and Xiao Wen Pei two and a half years, Xiao Bing Bing one year and a half.

Also, Yen and Toan were fined VND 20 million VND each and were demanded to make the return of the entire illicit profit.

The Chinese defendants will be deported back to their country immediately after serving their multiple-year jail terms.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG , Y PHUONG - Translating by A.T