Sixty-five citizens were apprehended in connection with online fraud activities.
Most of those repatriated said they were tricked into going to Cambodia with promises of "easy work and high pay," but once in Cambodia, they were subdued by a group of people armed with stun guns and other weapons and taken to a company where they were involved in fraudulent activities.
On the afternoon of November 4th, at the Hoa Lu International Border Gate (Loc Thanh commune, Dong Nai province), the Hoa Lu International Border Gate Border Guard Station, Dong Nai Provincial Border Guard Command, received 65 Vietnamese citizens returning home from Cambodian authorities.
Prior to the repatriation, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Battambang worked with Cambodian authorities and conducted initial interviews and verification of information for 65 Vietnamese citizens being temporarily detained at the Siem Reap Provincial Detention Center (General Department of Immigration, Ministry of Interior of Cambodia).
At the handover ceremony, the authorities of both countries signed agreements and completed the procedures for the repatriation of 65 citizens; they also conducted medical and health checks, verification, and initial investigations.
According to reports, most of those repatriated said they were tricked into going to Cambodia with promises of "easy work and high pay," but upon arriving in Cambodia, they were subdued by a group of people wielding stun guns and firearms and taken to a company involved in online fraud.
Among them were 64 citizens who escaped from an online scam operation in Banteay Meanchey province and one citizen who was arrested for illegal residency in Oddar Meanchey province (Cambodia).
Based on initial checks, reviews, and interviews, authorities identified 65 citizens from 24 provinces and cities, with the highest number from Ho Chi Minh City (9 people), followed by Hanoi (6 people)...
Specifically, Mr. Vo Anh Hao (20 years old, residing in Tan Khai commune, Dong Nai province) accused NVT (38 years old, also residing in Tan Khai commune) of engaging in fraudulent activities and trafficking people from Vietnam to Cambodia for illegal labor. Therefore, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Battambang requested the Dong Nai Provincial Police to investigate Mr. Hao's criminal complaint in accordance with the law.
Major Nguyen Duc Hung, Head of the Hoa Lu International Border Gate Border Guard Station, said that before receiving 65 citizens returning from Cambodia, the unit closely coordinated with relevant forces to verify identities, check immigration software, and screen individuals… Initially, the unit identified one young man who was a wanted fugitive.
The station has completed the procedures to hand over this individual to the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Hai Phong City Police for further investigation and handling according to their jurisdiction.
According to Major Hung, to prevent Vietnamese citizens from being lured into online fraud activities in Cambodia, the unit regularly organizes patrols and strict controls at border gates and immigration checkpoints; coordinating with functional departments of investigative agencies, border gate authorities, and local authorities to gather information early and from afar to disseminate information and combat illegal immigration.
This is the second time the Dong Nai Border Guard Force has received Vietnamese citizens involved in online fraud activities returning from Cambodia via the Hoa Lu International Border Gate.
Previously, Dong Nai province received 85 Vietnamese citizens returning home from Cambodian authorities. This group was detained by Cambodian authorities in Kratie province for "criminal activities and online fraud" during a comprehensive inspection, crackdown, and suppression of online fraud activities in Cambodia.
