Beware of methods and tricks of human trafficking criminals

Identify the tricks

Statistics from the Government's Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Control show that: In the first quarter of 2024, the authorities discovered and prosecuted 20 new cases/40 subjects (an increase of 17.6% over the same period in 2023). The total number of cases accepted for investigation during the period was 84 cases/223 subjects of human trafficking, identifying 178 victims in the cases; of which, 47 cases/124 subjects of human trafficking, 39 cases/99 subjects of human trafficking under 16 years old.

In Nghe An, taking advantage of economic difficulties and the lack of knowledge of people in remote, isolated, and border areas, human trafficking criminals have deceived and lured gullible women to sell them abroad using many sophisticated methods and tricks. In the first months of 2024, a number of human trafficking cases were prosecuted or brought to trial.

Typically, on March 12, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of defendant Le Bao Tin (born 1994), residing in Con Cuong district, for the crimes of "Human trafficking" and "Trafficking in persons under 16 years old".

According to the indictment, in early July 2022, Tin and a friend went to Laos to participate in a social network fraud mission for a Chinese-owned company. During the work, Tin knew that if he could bring Vietnamese people to Laos to work, the Chinese boss would pay 35 million VND/person, so he contacted his hometown and persuaded many people. To lure the victims, Tin gave information that he would go to Laos to "work online" with a salary of 17 million VND/month. Among the 10 victims, some were just over 15 years old when they were sold to Laos.

Considering the case as a whole, the first instance trial panel sentenced Le Bao Tin to 12 years in prison for “Human trafficking” and 12 years in prison for “Human trafficking under 16 years of age”. Combined, the defendant Tin must serve a sentence of 24 years in prison.

Also in March 2024, the Investigation Police Agency of Ky Son District Police initiated a case and prosecuted Cut Kham Huong (born in 1995), residing in Huoi Tho village, Huu Kiem commune (Ky Son) for investigation of the crime of "Human trafficking". According to the investigation, around April 2015, Huong contacted Chich Thi Th. (born in 1999), residing in Bao Nam commune, Ky Son district (Huong's lover) to discuss with Th. going to China to work as a worker and this girl agreed.

About a week later, Huong returned to Ky Son district to take her lover to Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province, and then crossed the border into China. After arriving in China, Huong contacted a woman named Ly and sold Th. to her for 90 million VND. Th. then escaped back to Vietnam and filed a complaint against Cut Kham Huong's actions.

Previously, in early January 2024, Tuong Duong District Police issued a decision to prosecute the case, prosecute the accused and issue an order to temporarily detain Lu Thi Que (born in 1972), residing in Cham Puong village, Luong Minh commune, Tuong Duong district to investigate and clarify the act of buying and selling children. During the investigation, the Special Task Force determined: Around May 2016, Lu Thi Que approached LTL (born in 2002), residing in Minh Thanh village, Luong Minh commune. Taking advantage of L.'s difficult circumstances, Que used various tricks to entice and entice L. to agree to go across the border and then sell L. to a foreign man to marry for nearly 300 million VND, Que profited about 30 million VND.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, through cases and incidents related to human trafficking crimes, it is possible to summarize some emerging methods and tricks that criminals often use as follows: The subjects continue to thoroughly exploit cyberspace, create job search advertising pages, dating apps, singles clubs and groups, use fake names and addresses to make friends, get acquainted, flirt, promise to find high-income jobs, then trick and sell them to work as service staff at businesses such as karaoke bars, hair salons, massage parlors, etc.

The trick of “easy work, high salary” continues to be thoroughly exploited by subjects, bringing people across the border to work in casinos, online game establishments, and online business companies to force labor and force them to commit online fraud; victims are lured and deceived mainly in the border areas of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, and Soc Trang provinces.
In addition, Vietnamese people in the country collude with Vietnamese people abroad to find and lure victims to leave the country with the promise of "easy work, high salary" through methods such as: viewing photos, selecting victims through social networks... then, instructing victims to leave the country by air.

Abroad, victims are forced to do jobs such as: participating in online fraud rings, working in foreign-owned casinos; if they want to return home, they have to pay a large ransom. Or foreigners collude with Vietnamese brokers to trick Vietnamese women into going abroad for illegal marriages, forcing them into complicated prostitution activities in some northern border provinces.

Promote propaganda

It is forecasted that the situation of human trafficking crimes will continue to have many complicated developments in the coming time. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Security recommends that Party committees, authorities, sectors, organizations, and people of all walks of life need to further raise their awareness of crime and join hands in repelling human trafficking.

In Nghe An, in the past 2 years, the police force has detected and arrested 13 cases and 23 criminals of human trafficking; at the same time, coordinated with other forces to verify and rescue 23 victims. In addition, the Party committees, authorities, and political systems at all levels have strengthened propaganda, dissemination and education of laws on preventing and combating human trafficking in many forms suitable to local conditions and awareness of each subject, especially in key localities.

Many models of preventing and combating human trafficking crimes have been maintained and expanded. A typical example is Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district, which was previously known as a hot spot for human trafficking and fetal trafficking, causing insecurity and disorder in the area. In early 2020, Huu Kiem commune established the "Prevention and Combat of Human Trafficking" Club, expanding to 9 villages in the area.

The clubs have carried out many propaganda activities focused on the cultural houses of the villages; coordinated with the authorities to organize propaganda forums, using real people and real events, who were victims of human trafficking, as propagandists. Huu Kiem commune has also established a human trafficking prevention and control team to regularly monitor the situation at the grassroots level; promoted the role of the people as "eyes and ears" in detecting suspicious strangers appearing in the area, promptly reporting to the commune police for timely handling. Thanks to that, the awareness of the people has gradually changed positively.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Huyen - Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Ky Son district, in addition to Huu Kiem commune, the district has also established anti-human trafficking clubs in other hot spots such as Pha Danh and Chieu Luu communes... Every quarter, the clubs coordinate with units to organize many propaganda campaigns to help people, especially women in remote communes, raise awareness and understanding of the law, the Law on Marriage, gender equality and especially the prevention and combat of human trafficking.

In many other localities such as Tam Quang, Nga My, Yen Hoa (Tuong Duong), Hanh Dich Que Phong commune, Don Phuc (Con Cuong)... the model of "Community support to prevent and combat human trafficking" or "Shield to prevent and combat human trafficking" has also been effective in communication work. Thereby, people's awareness has been raised, and the crime of human trafficking has decreased significantly.

To improve the effectiveness of the fight against human trafficking, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Official Dispatch No. 5442//UBND-NC, in which, the Provincial Police Department was assigned to direct the Police of units and localities to advise Party committees and authorities and closely coordinate with sectors to build, maintain and replicate effective models in the movement "All people protect national security" and prevent human trafficking crimes.

The Provincial People's Committee also requested the Provincial Women's Union to direct all levels of the union to coordinate in strengthening the supervision of the implementation of the law on preventing and combating human trafficking; widely disseminate and propagate the law on preventing and combating human trafficking and the methods and tricks of human trafficking crimes for women and children in the community. At the same time, replicate the model of vocational training, job creation, and support for victims to reintegrate into the community to contribute to stabilizing life, stabilizing income, and reducing the risks of human trafficking.