The Da Nang police said on Saturday afternoon that they have arrested Le Xuan Thanh, 37, from Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District, and To My Hong Anh, 32, from Thanh Khe district.

Da Nang Police searched the home of offender Le Xuan Thanh (right), and arrested him for assisting illegal entry into Viet Nam. Photo: L.H

They are to be prosecuted for assisting illegal entry into Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts.

They will face court on charges under the Criminal Offences Act in Viet Nam.

They are found guilty after police officers have collected evidence to prove that Thanh and Anh are charged with engaged in facilitating many South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts to make profits from using illegal tactics amid the complex developments of COVID -19.

Le Xuan Thanh is the Director of the Phi Anh Pro Co., Ltd. and Patour Trading & Service Co., Ltd. with hired headquarters located at the Monarchy Apartment Building, Tran Hung Dao Street, Son Tra district.

Between January and March 2021, Thanh colluded with the owner of a South Korean business (temporarily calls Company A) operating in Da Nang to take advantage of his registered business names to assist 7 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts or investors to make profits from using illegal tactics.

In fact, these illegal immigrants are not foreign experts or investors who are included in Viet Nam government-approved list of foreign nationals to give priority for entering the country amid the complex developments of COVID-19 in the world.

After completing their mandatory quarantine period, these illegal immigrants travelled to many places across Viet Nam for work instead of doing a job at companies that sponsor them to work for.

Da Nang Police searched the home of offender To My Hong Anh (left) and arrested her for assisting illegal entry into Viet Nam. Photo: L.H

To My Hong Anh who is an employee of Company A, assisted the South Korean-owned company to engage and connect with Le Xuan Thanh and Nguyen Tran Anh Tuan to facilitate foreign nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam.

Earlier on May 12, Nguyen Tran Anh Tuan was arrested by Da Nang police, and he was accused of a criminal offence after assisting many illegal South Korean entries into Viet Nam by taking advantage of his three registered business names to sponsor them.

Currently, the Police Investigation Agency under the Da Nang Police Department is conducting investigations into immigration fraud rings that assisted many illegal Chinese entries into Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts or investors, but these illegal immigrants engaged in organised criminal activities linked to gambling on the internet.

Da Nang police are urging businesses, organisations and individuals to attend a police station voluntarily to answer questions about their offences of assisting illegal entry into Viet Nam soon as possible to get leniency in sentencing.

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by H.L