On August 17, the Criminal Police Division of Nghe An Provincial Police announced the arrest and prosecution of Ly Van Sang, born in 1998 and residing in Cam Phuc Commune, Nghe An Province, on charges of human trafficking.

According to the investigation, Sang previously worked for a company located in Laos's Golden Triangle area. After returning to Vietnam in early 2024, he devised a scheme to deceive people from western communes of Nghe An Province and sell them into labor exploitation across the border.

Sang colluded with individuals in Laos to set up a cross-border trafficking network targeting Vietnamese citizens. To gain their trust, he told potential victims that a Laotian company was hiring with attractive offers: salaries of VND 17 million (approximately USD 650) per month, free meals and lodging, and fully covered travel expenses.

Between March 2024 and the time of arrest, Sang successfully trafficked 16 individuals from Cam Phuc and Con Cuong districts in Nghe An Province to special economic zones in Laos’s Golden Triangle area.

Once across the border, victims were forced to work up to 17 hours a day, often impersonating Vietnamese government officials in online scams targeting citizens in Vietnam. Those who failed to meet quotas were beaten, electroshocked, and denied wages. Many victims, unable to withstand the abuse, fled back to Vietnam.

After launching an investigation, the Nghe An Provincial Criminal Police Division coordinated with related units and arrested Ly Van Sang while he was hiding in the rugged mountainous region of Phuoc Thanh Commune, Da Nang City.

During interrogation, Sang admitted to all charges.

Nghe An Provincial Police are calling on anyone who may have been victimized by Ly Van Sang to contact the Criminal Police Division to assist with the investigation.

Thien Luong