Human trafficking - blinded by money.

(Baonghean.vn) - The huge profits have led human traffickers to employ many deceptive tactics.They are sophisticated in luring and enticing women and children from border areas to be trafficked to China for prostitution or forced into marriage.

With its 419.5km long border with Laos, 27 border communes, and over 500,000 ethnic minority people, Nghe An province is facing a major problem of human trafficking. Taking advantage of the limited legal awareness and understanding of people in mountainous areas, many perpetrators have lured and deceived women and children into being sold across the border.

Two individuals involved in human trafficking were brought to trial in Que Phong district.

From 2011 to 2015, authorities in Nghe An province discovered 65 cases involving 135 individuals related to human trafficking. In 2015 alone, 20 cases involving 45 individuals were apprehended, and 29 victims were rescued. Investigators initiated investigations into 63 cases involving 132 defendants who participated in the trafficking of 121 women and children, completing 67 cases involving 125 defendants for prosecution by the People's Procuracy. Courts at all levels handled and tried 56 cases involving 86 defendants related to human trafficking.

Explaining the increasing trend of human trafficking crimes, Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Ngoc Manh – Deputy Head of the Anti-Drug Department (Nghe An Border Guard) said: Victims are lured into trafficking and are paid between 20 and 60 million VND. Meanwhile, for each victim sold across the border, after deducting all travel, accommodation, and "advance" payments to the victims, the traffickers profit up to 300 million VND. This enormous profit motivates human traffickers to devise more schemes to evade law enforcement.

“To gain the trust of the victims and their families, the perpetrators use letters and photos to introduce people who have become wealthy and prosperous. On the other hand, they generously advance money for transportation or wages to the victims… Faced with these tactics, the victims are dazzled by the prospect of a bright future and fall into the trap,” said Ms. Truong Thi Tuyet Mai, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Que Phong District.

Luong Thi Yen was arrested by border guards while leading three girls to Mong Cai to sell them to China.

Human trafficking crimes are often carried out using tactics such as recruiting factory workers, sales staff, or female laborers, or luring naive women with promises of high wages to deceive them before selling them across the border. Notably, some of the victims themselves are involved in these human trafficking cases.

My victims of human trafficking are mainly children and women aged 14 to 30, or women who are "past their prime," some from particularly difficult family circumstances; some who are chasing after a lavish lifestyle; and some young girls who aspire to escape work in industrial zones... The areas where human traffickers operate are usually rural and mountainous regions, where the level of education is low, people are naive and gullible, the economy is difficult, and many people lack employment.

Ngo Hoang