The 'international cooperation' scheme is used to trick people into illegally fleeing the country.
Licensed to operate in the field of overseas study consulting, Nguyen Thi Oanh and her accomplices transformed this legitimate business into a cover for an illegal human trafficking ring. Using enticing advertisements about opportunities for a "life-changing" life in South Korea, Malaysia, or Australia, the group lured dozens of unsuspecting individuals, defrauding them of over 10 billion VND.
Studying abroad is just a cover.
AHD International Cooperation Joint Stock Company, where Nguyen Thi Oanh (40 years old, residing in Nghe An) is the Director, was licensed by the Nghe An Department of Education and Training to operate study abroad consulting services. However, instead of being used for its intended purpose, that "license" was turned into a cover for a network organizing illegal emigration.
According to official records, Nguyen Thi Oanh, along with Bui Van Manh (45 years old, residing in Ninh Binh), colluded with numerous individuals both domestically and internationally, including Jeong Woo Hyun (51 years old, South Korean nationality), to commit fraud. The perpetrators painted a picture of a "life-changing" future abroad with enticing advertisements for travel packages to South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia.
To persuade workers to submit documents and pay money, this group assigned several individuals, including Bui Thi Anh Tuyet (41 years old), Le Thi Huong (33 years old), Nguyen Thi Ngoc (31 years old), Vo Thi Huong (30 years old), and Pham Van Dan (37 years old), to act as intermediaries, introduce workers, and even "commit" to handling all exit procedures. Believing them, many families borrowed money to pay the company.
But behind those promises were illegal schemes masterminded by the individuals in this network. The defendants fabricated profiles, forged documents, and even devised a plan to go to Malaysia and Sri Lanka to "study English" before transferring to Australia and then staying to work illegally.
Investigators determined that from May 2022 to December 2023, this ring facilitated the illegal labor migration of 25 people. The total revenue generated exceeded 10 billion VND, 25,500 USD, and 4,000 AUD.
Specifically, from May 2022 to June 2023, Nguyen Thi Oanh, Bui Van Manh, and Bui Thi Anh Tuyet received documents and nearly 1.4 billion VND from four workers. They then transferred nearly 800 million VND to Jeong Woo Hyun and Bui Thi Thiem to arrange for these four individuals to travel to South Korea under the guise of tourism, where they subsequently worked illegally. On June 30, 2022, when the four workers attempted to leave for Jeju Island (South Korea), they were denied entry and forced to return to Vietnam.
Subsequently, in August 2023, Oanh instructed Mạnh and Tuyết to receive documents and 34 million VND from a worker to arrange for their trip to Malaysia under the guise of tourism, with the intention of staying and working illegally. However, a few days after the worker departed for Malaysia, they were deported back to Vietnam.
In addition, Oanh and Mạnh instructed their subordinates to create files for 20 workers, collecting a total of over 8 billion VND, 25,500 USD, and 4,000 AUD, with the aim of organizing their trip to Australia by sending them to Malaysia and Sri Lanka to study English, and then processing their exit procedures to Australia, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
To arrange for 20 people to go to Australia under the guise of studying and then staying to work, Nguyen Thi Oanh and Bui Van Manh instructed Tuyet, Huong, Ngoc, and Huong to guide the workers to contact Nguyen Quang Tuyen (37 years old, residing in Nghe An) to order fake documents. Tuyen then contacted Nguyen Cong Anh (47 years old), along with Tran Thi Tuyet (41 years old), to create fake documents for the workers to submit to AHD Company for exit visa applications.
The price to pay for scammers
Recently, the Nghe An Provincial People's Court held a first-instance trial for 13 defendants charged with organizing illegal emigration and forging seals and using forged documents of agencies and organizations. The courtroom was packed that day as many victims attended the trial. Many people's faces showed sadness and anxiety after being deceived.
At the trial, Nguyen Thi Oanh admitted to the crime, stating that she was driven by greed. The woman who once ran the company no longer maintained her confident demeanor. Oanh testified that although the company was only licensed by authorities to provide study abroad consulting services, and not to offer employment services or services for sending people abroad, she and defendant Manh used the company's name to collaborate with and connect with many individuals to organize the sending of Vietnamese people abroad under various guises such as tourism, business, and study abroad. Their ultimate goal was to have the Vietnamese people stay and work illegally.
In this criminal ring, there is a foreign defendant, Jeong Woo Hyun. Due to health issues, the defendant was allowed to sit during questioning by the court. Defendant Jeong Woo Hyun admitted to cooperating with Oanh in illegally bringing laborers to South Korea. The defendant knew that his actions violated Vietnamese law but still carried them out. He requested the court to consider granting him leniency under Vietnamese law.
The remaining defendants in the case also expressed remorse for their crimes. Many of them were formerly employees of the company, now considered accomplices in this serious case. The defendants hoped for leniency so they could have a chance to rebuild their lives.
Many of the victims attending the trial could not hide their grief and anxiety, having spent large sums of money hoping to emigrate. However, they were defrauded by the defendants and lost a significant amount of money. The pain of these families is not only about money, but also about the disappointment of having their trust betrayed.
After the trial, the panel of judges concluded that this was an organized, protracted case involving multiple provinces and cities, with an exceptionally large amount of money embezzled. The defendants' actions not only violated the state's administrative order but also caused serious consequences for workers and society.
After considering the role of each defendant in the case, the panel of judges sentenced Nguyen Thi Oanh to 8 years in prison for the crime of "Organizing the escape of others to foreign countries" and 3 years in prison for the crime of "Using forged documents of agencies and organizations," resulting in a combined sentence of 11 years for Oanh.
The court sentenced defendant Bui Van Manh to 9 years in prison; Bui Thi Anh Tuyet to 8 years in prison. Defendants Nguyen Thi Ngoc and Vo Thi Huong each received 30 months in prison; Le Thi Huong received 27 months in prison.
For the crime of "Organizing the illegal emigration of others," defendant Jeong Woo Hyun received an 18-month prison sentence; Pham Van Dan received an 18-month suspended sentence; and Bui Thi Thiem received a 15-month suspended sentence.
For the crime of "Forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations," the court sentenced Nguyen Quang Tuyen to 30 months in prison, Nguyen Cong Anh to 30 months in prison, Bui Xuan Thanh to 24 months in prison, and Tran Thi Tuyet to 18 months in prison with a suspended sentence.
The trial concluded, the defendants received their sentences, but the pain of the victims is far from over. A study abroad consulting company – a gateway for young people to the world – was transformed into a tool for a sophisticated criminal ring. Under the guise of "international cooperation" and enticing advertisements promising a better future abroad, the perpetrators not only defrauded billions of dong but also plunged many families into debt and hardship. The case serves as a costly warning about the exploitation of open-door policies and study abroad and tourism programs for illegal activities. It also highlights the need for stricter management of organizations operating in the fields of study abroad consulting, employment, and international labor cooperation, so that no one else has to sacrifice their future to those who disregard the law for the sake of greed.
For the public, this is a wake-up call: don't risk your assets and future just because of promises of "easy jobs and high salaries abroad." Thoroughly research information, verify the organization's origins and documents before handing over money or documents. In reality, in an increasingly open world, the line between genuine opportunities and scams is becoming increasingly blurred. Only knowledge and vigilance can help each individual protect themselves from unrealistic dreams.