Two men in Da Nang on Saturday, January 8, were arrested and prosecuted for assisting illegal entry into Viet Nam under a provisional warrant issued by Da Nang Police.

The two arrests were Nguyen Van Minh Tho, 31, Director of TNA Service and Tourism One Member Co., Ltd. and Pham Kim Phuc, 29, Director of Phuc Travel Newlife Co., Ltd.

A police officer read a court decision to detain Nguyen Van Minh Tho (left) for facilitating illegal immigration into Viet Nam. L.H

They are found guilty after police officers have collected evidence to prove that the two men are charged with engaged in facilitating 14 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts.

During the investigation, Da Nang police found that the two directors of these companies had taken advantage of their registered business names to sponsor 14 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts to make profits from using illegal tactics.

Tho confessed that he colluded with To My Hong Anh to assist 7 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts, and Anh promised to pay US$ 200 per illegal immigrant for him. However, officers arrested To My Hong Anh, and she was accused of criminal offences after assisting many illegal South Korean entries into Viet Nam. Hence, Tho has yet to receive any money from Anh.

Pham Kim Phuc took advantage of his registered business name to assist 7 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of a foreign expert to make profits from using illegal tactics. He received a commission worth VND 30.8 million from members of an organised crime that assisted many illegal foreign entries into Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts.

The illegal acts of the two men were clarified by the police during the extensive investigation into an immigration fraud ring led by three South Korean nationals. They are Lee Kwan Youg, 54, the Vice Chairman of the South Korea Association in Central Viet Nam, Seo Young Jin, 49, the Director of the Han In Hue Co., Ltd, and Song Hong Sub, 50, the owner of the Khan Vina Brokerage Company.

On July 9, 2021, the three South Korean nationals were arrested and accused of a criminal offence after assisting many illegal South Korean entries from Incheon International Airport into Viet Nam via Da Nang International Airport.

The three South Korean nationals used to live and work in Da Nang. Song Hong Sub used online advertising to find their fellow countrypersons who want to apply for a visa to come to Viet Nam. He then colluded with Seo Young Jin and Lee Kwan Youg to take advantage of such registered business names of Kuvarose, The Es, and Phuc Travel Newlife to sponsor them to assist many South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts.

Between 2020 and 2021, this immigration fraud ring assisted about 300 South Korean nationals to illegally enter Viet Nam.

To date, officers detained 13 members of this organised crime, including 3 South Korean nationals, that assisted many illegal foreign entries into Viet Nam under the guise of foreign experts.

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by H.L