Sisters-in-law sentenced to prison for human trafficking to China

(Baonghean.vn) - Lo Thi Quang and Vi Thi Voi are two sisters-in-law. Both have just been sentenced to prison by the People's Court of Nghe An province for the crime of "human trafficking".

On November 15, the People's Court of Nghe An province opened a first-instance criminal trial of defendant Lo Thi Quang (born in 1978, residing in Pieng O village, Xieng My commune, Tuong Duong district) and defendant Vi Thi Voi (born in 1993, Quang's sister-in-law, residing in Na Co village, Binh Chuan commune, Con Cuong district) prosecuted for the crime of "human trafficking".

Defendant Lo Thi Quang (white shirt) and defendant Vi Thi Voi in court. Photo: Phuong Thao

According to the indictment, around the beginning of April 2015, Lo Thi Quang was doing business in China and returned to Vietnam to visit her family when she met Vi Thi Voi. Quang told Voi: For each person that Voi found and brought to China for Quang to sell, he would pay Voi 15 million VND and pay for transportation. In addition, Quang would pay anyone who agreed to go to China to marry him 100 million VND. Voi immediately agreed to find someone to bring to China for Quang to sell.

Vi Thi Voi met Vi Thi Hung (born in 1995, near Vi Thi Voi's house) to invite Hung to go to China to get married. Voi said, "If Hung agrees to go to China, Voi will pay Hung 100 million VND and after getting married for about 5-6 months, she will let him return to Vietnam." Vi Thi Hung agreed.

On April 16, 2015, Vi Thi Voi and Vi Thi Hung took a bus to Mong Cai and then traveled through the illegal route to China. Vi Thi Voi and Vi Thi Hung stayed at Lo Thi Quang's house in China for about a month, then Quang sent someone to see Vi Thi Hung to buy her as a wife. Afterwards, Lo Thi Quang and Vi Thi Voi sold Vi Thi Hung to a Chinese man for 670,000 Yuan (equivalent to 200 million Vietnamese Dong).

After selling Vi Thi Hung, Lo Thi Quang gave Vi Thi Voi 90 million VND for Voi to give to Hung's family, and Quang paid Voi 15 million VND. Lo Thi Quang paid 120,000 Yuan to the broker to sell Vi Thi Hung in China, Quang used the rest for personal expenses.

By early September 2016, Vi Thi Hung did not see Lo Thi Quang and Vi Thi Voi brought back to Vietnam as promised, so she fled back to Vietnam. On November 28, 2016, Hung filed a complaint against Lo Thi Quang and Vi Thi Voi to the police.

At court, Lo Thi Quang and Vi Thi Voi admitted all their crimes. The panel sentenced Lo Thi Quang to 6 years in prison and Vi Thi Voi to 5 years in prison for "human trafficking".

Phuong Thao