The two sisters were imprisoned one after the other for trafficking women across the border.
During a visit back to Vietnam, Lu Thi Khuon persuaded her younger sister to find women to sell to China. Not long after, the two sisters took a woman across the border and handed her over to another person to be sold as a wife. When the crime was discovered, the younger sister was arrested while Khuon fled.
Two sisters trafficked people.
The trial of defendant Lu Thi Khuon (born in 1975), residing in Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district, on charges of "human trafficking" took place on a day in early December. Small in stature, Khuon stood huddled before the witness stand. Every now and then, the female defendant turned her head to look behind her for relatives, but only saw rows of empty seats; no one was present.
Lu Thi Khuon is the sixth child in a family of eight siblings. As a member of an ethnic minority group, Khuon did not receive an education and is therefore illiterate. Every day, Khuon works in the fields with her parents and siblings to make a living.
Growing up, Khươn listened to some people and decided to go to China to find a new life. After some time, Khươn married a local man. While living there, Khươn met a woman from Nghe An province named Tien (whose identity and background are unknown) who was married to a man in China. This woman suggested that Khươn find women to sell in China, promising to split the profits equally. The attractive offer from this woman from his hometown made Khươn think a lot.
In early October 2015, Khuon returned to Vietnam to attend her mother's funeral. During that time, she persuaded her younger sister, Lu Thi Mai (born in 1978, residing in Huu Kiem commune, Ky Son district), to find women to take to China to marry. Khuon clearly told her sister: "If you find young women, I'll pay you 40 million dong, but if you find older or unattractive women, it'll be 30 million dong." Hearing her sister's persuasion, Mai nodded in agreement.
About 20 days later, upon meeting Ven Van Thao (born in 1992, residing in Huu Lap commune, Ky Son district), Mai invited him to find women to sell, promising him 5 million VND as payment. Greedy for the money, Thao agreed to find women to sell to China.
In late October 2015, Ms. Mong Thi D. (born in 1978, residing in Huu Lap commune) visited Thao's house and said she wanted to go to China to find work. At this time, Thao immediately conceived the idea of tricking and selling Ms. D.
Ven Van Thao then called Mai to inform her that he had found his "target," and arranged to pick her up the following afternoon.
The following afternoon, when meeting Ms. D., Thao said they had to walk through the forest because they were afraid of being discovered if they rode a motorbike. Ms. D. agreed, packed her clothes, and walked with Thao to the Xop Thap intersection in Huu Lap commune, where they met Mai. At this time, Lu Thi Mai met Thao privately and promised to send money to Ms. D. when she got married.
Upon returning home, Mai immediately informed her sister that she had found someone but mentioned that he was "a bit old." At this point, Khuon reassured her sister, "Don't worry, when they get married, I'll give you 30 million dong."
Later, Khuon arranged for Ms. D. to be taken to China by bus. In China, Khuon contacted Tien to pick up Ms. D. and bring her to his house. Nearly a month later, Tien sold Ms. D. to a Chinese man to be his wife.
After the human trafficking operation was successful, Lu Thi Khuon went to see Tien to ask for her payment and was paid 6 million dong. However, during a visit to her hometown to see her sister, when Mai asked about the money from the trafficking, Khuon said she didn't have it yet. Afterwards, Khuon returned to China to continue living with her husband.
As for the victim, after being sold, she endured difficult times in a foreign land, filled with bitterness and humiliation. Because of her hardship, she always harbored the intention of escaping back to her country. In early March 2019, taking advantage of a lapse in security by her husband's family, she escaped back to Vietnam and filed a complaint against the perpetrators with the police.
Following a complaint from the victim, Lu Thi Mai and Ven Van Thao were arrested. At their trial in early November 2019, both admitted to the crime but claimed they had not received any payment. The court sentenced Mai and Thao to three years in prison each for "human trafficking".
As for Lu Thi Khuon, she was wanted by the police because she had absconded. She was arrested on August 22, 2024.
Confession of a Fugitive
Before the witness stand, the defendant admitted to the crimes as charged in the indictment. The defendant stated that, influenced by a woman named Tien, he returned to Vietnam and persuaded his sister to help him find women to sell. The defendant explained that he profited 6 million VND from the case, but after the incident was discovered, he compensated the victim 13 million VND.
At this point, a juror reminded the defendant that selling a woman like a commodity, no matter the price, is illegal and immoral. Hearing this, the defendant bowed his head and remained silent.
Regarding the arrest warrant, the defendant stated that after selling the victim, she returned to Vietnam a few times. Afterward, she returned to China to live with her husband and children. Some time later, she heard that her sister and Thao had been arrested by the police in her hometown for "human trafficking." Out of fear, she went into hiding there. For a long time, she lived in constant anxiety and fear, not knowing when she would be arrested; she lacked the courage to return to Vietnam to surrender until she was arrested by the Nghe An Provincial Police.
The female defendant expressed remorse for her criminal actions. She stated that her actions not only led to her imprisonment but also dragged her younger sister into it. She explained that her circumstances were difficult, with her husband and children living across the border unable to visit her. She also mentioned that she is from an ethnic minority group, lacked formal education, and therefore has limited understanding of the law. She hoped for leniency from the law.
The court determined that the defendant's criminal act was serious, directly infringing upon the freedom, honor, and dignity of citizens protected by law, negatively impacting the customs, traditions, and values of Vietnamese women, causing negative public opinion, affecting local security and order, and creating anxiety among the people.
The defendant is a healthy individual who was fully aware that her actions were wrong, but she disregarded the law for personal gain. Therefore, a severe sentence is necessary, isolating the defendant from society for a certain period of time to be commensurate with the nature, extent, and consequences of her criminal act. After considering all aspects of the case, the Panel of Judges sentenced Lu Thi Khuon to 5 years in prison for the crime of "Human Trafficking".
The verdict, which held the right person accountable for the crime, serves as another warning to those who still intend to commit human trafficking: sooner or later, they will have to pay the price. It also serves as a reminder to the public to be vigilant and alert, and not to be deceived or exploited by human traffickers.
