Former female teacher who trafficked women to China gets 11 years in prison

July 30,Nghe An Provincial People's Court opened a criminal trial, the first instance trial of defendant Lo Thi Thuong (61 years old, former teacher, residing in Trung Chinh village, Yen Khe commune, Con Cuong district) for the crime of human trafficking.

According to records, Thuong used to be a teacher. After retiring, Thuong left her husband and children in her hometown, followed friends to China to do business and then married a Chinese man. In 2014, in China, Thuong met Truong Thi Nga and Vi Thi Van (both from Con Cuong) who both left home to go to China to get married.

Defendant Lo Thi Thuong at the first instance trial. Photo:Khanh An

On May 4, 2014, Thuong asked her Chinese husband for permission to return to her homeland. A month later, Nga also returned home and visited Thuong's house to discuss finding someone to take her to China to sell to men to buy as wives and share the money.

Thuong agreed, called Mrs. Vi Thi Th. (54 years old, Thuong's aunt's sister) and said: "I just came back from China. Over there, I work in cotton, light work, monthly salary 8 million VND. Do you have any bank debts at home? Come with me to do business there." Mrs. Th. was in a difficult situation, so she trusted Thuong and agreed to go with him to China.

Also under the guise of needing to recruit people to go to China to work in cotton, light work, high salary, Thuong tricked Ms. Kha Thi Thanh Ng. (54 years old), her younger sister Nguyen Thi Hai Y. (19 years old, Thuong's former student), Ms. Lo Thi Ph. (53 years old, all living in Con Cuong district) to go to China.

Thuong, Nga, and Sang sold three victims, Ms. Th, Ms. Ng, and Y.'s younger sister, to Chinese men to buy them as wives for 116,000 yuan (equivalent to 348 million VND). Nga gave Thuong 18 million VND of this amount.

As for Mrs. Ph., Thuong's Chinese husband sold her to another man for 48 million VND. After selling the victim, Thuong's husband took all the money and did not give any to Thuong.

In March 2015, Thuong, Van and a woman named Sang tricked Vu Thi T. and Luong Thi B. into selling them to China. Van sold T. to a Chinese man to be his wife for 66 million VND.

Mrs. B. refused to get married. She went on a hunger strike for many days, not eating, drinking, or sleeping, which led to her heart disease becoming more and more serious. Thuong, Van, and Sang used the money from selling Mrs. T. to buy bus and train tickets for Mrs. B. to return to her husband and children in her hometown in Nghe An. And Van said she had spent all the money, so Thuong has not received any money from selling Mrs. T.

In this case, Nga and Van are currently not in the area. The police are continuing to investigate and will handle the case when they are arrested.

Currently, Y. is in China, and the authorities have not been able to rescue her to bring her home.

At the trial, defendant Thuong confessed honestly, expressed remorse, and asked for a reduced sentence.

After considering aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the panel sentenced defendant Thuong to 11 years in prison for human trafficking.