Human trafficking group sentenced to 16 years in prison for selling sister for 80 million VND

(Baonghean.vn) - Hong called Pheng to ask him to find someone. Pheng told Kham. Kham said he had a younger sister who had just divorced her husband. If he gave Kham an advance of 10 million, he would send her to China...

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On the morning of February 24, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of Vi Thi Hong (born in 1974) and her husband Moong Van Tuyen (born in 1972), residing in Chieu Luu commune, Ky Son district, along with Moong Me Pheng (born in 1972), Luong Me Kham (born in 1993), both residing in Bao Thang commune, Ky Son district, for the crime of "Human trafficking".

Authorities determined that around April 2016, Hong accepted a request from a woman named Yen (whose identity was not determined) to find someone to take to China to be sold as a husband for 100 million VND.

Hong called Pheng to ask him to find someone. Pheng told Kham. Kham said that his sister had just divorced her husband. If he gave Kham an advance of 10 million, he would let her go.

Subjects in court. Photo: Nhu Binh.

After that, Hong, Tuyen, Pheng and Kham agreed to take Luong Thi P. (Kham's younger sister, born in 2000) to China for 80 million VND. Hong and his wife gave Kham an advance of 10 million VND, the rest would be paid when P. was taken to the other side of the border. In case Kham and Pheng could not deliver the person, they would have to pay Hong and his wife 50 thousand VND interest per day on the advance.

On the evening of May 7, 2016, when Moong Van Tuyen was taking P. home to take him to China, he was discovered and arrested by the Ky Son District Police. Based on Tuyen's testimony, the police arrested Vi Thi Hong, Moong Me Pheng and Luong Me Kham.

At the trial, the defendants admitted their actions. Differentiating the role of each defendant in the case, the panel sentenced Vi Thi Hong to 5 years in prison, Moong Van Tuyen to 3 years in prison, and the defendants Moong Me Pheng and Luong Me Kham to 4 years each for the crime of “Human trafficking”.

Nhu Binh