On the morning of July 29, the People’s Court of Hanoi sentenced defendant Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy (born 1990) to 24 years in prison for “trafficking persons under 16” and “forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations.”

In connection with the case, defendants Siu H’Hanh (born 1986), Le Tran Van Dat (born 1995), Tran Thi Lieu (born 1978), and Hong Van Thai (born 1978), all from Ho Chi Minh City, received prison sentences ranging from 12 to 15 years and 6 months.

Previously, at 11:30 a.m. on October 4, 2020, security personnel at Noi Bai Airport became suspicious of Le Tran Van Dat, who was carrying a newborn girl while checking in for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon conducting an administrative inspection, authorities handed the case over to the police.

The investigation uncovered a network trafficking minors and producing forged documents. According to prosecutors, Siu H’Hanh, who worked as a freelancer, frequently visited the Facebook group “Hội cho nhận con nuôi” (Group for giving and adopting children), where she discovered that some women facing unplanned pregnancies or financial hardship wanted to give their babies up for adoption.

H’Hanh also learned that many infertile couples were seeking to adopt. Seizing the opportunity, she began contacting women offering their children and sold those babies to hopeful adoptive parents for profit.

In September 2020, during a prenatal check-up in Ho Chi Minh City, H’Hanh met Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, who worked at a local clinic. Their conversation revealed they were both members of the same adoption Facebook group, and they agreed to partner in selling newborns for financial gain.

That same month, H’Hanh saw a post from a woman identified as T. (born 2001), who due to hardship, wished to give away her newborn twin daughters. H’Hanh befriended her and offered to adopt the girls.

On September 30, 2020, H’Hanh met with T., gave her approximately $785 (20 million VND) to “support her recovery,” and took the babies to her rented room.

One of the infants, who weighed only 1.3 kilograms and was difficult to care for, was left at Quan Am Pagoda (in Ho Chi Minh City), where H’Hanh hoped the monks would take over her care. The other baby, weighing 1.8 kilograms, was taken by H’Hanh and Thuy by car to Hanoi and offered for sale for $1,570 (40 million VND).

However, the buyer rejected the child upon discovering she was frail and did not match the photos. The traffickers were caught trying to fly the baby back to Ho Chi Minh City from Noi Bai Airport.

Earlier in September 2019, also through the same Facebook group, Thuy learned of a woman named L. (born 1989) who was pregnant but unable to raise her child due to financial constraints. Thuy encouraged her to give birth and put the child up for adoption. Once the baby boy was born in a hospital, Thuy contacted a woman in Hanoi and sold the child for $1,570 (40 million VND).

The baby was handed over for $1,455 (37 million VND). Thuy gave the mother about $785 (20 million VND) to cover hospital bills and recovery, while spending the rest personally.

12 newborns trafficked through black market “adoptions”

The indictment determined that between February and October 2020, the defendants exploited the adoption system to traffic babies. Thuy played the central role, orchestrating the sale of 12 newborns.

She collected about $25,575 (651 million VND) from prospective adoptive families. Of that amount, approximately $14,100 (359 million VND) was used for hospital bills, baby supplies, postpartum support, and travel expenses. The remaining $10,475 (262 million VND) was spent on personal use.

The court confirmed that Siu H’Hanh sold infant L.T.K.N. to Thuy for $980 (25 million VND). Additionally, H’Hanh and Dat collaborated in forging a birth certificate to facilitate transporting a newborn by air from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

The other defendants, despite knowing that Thuy and H’Hanh were profiting from illegal baby sales disguised as adoption, still supported and benefited from the operation.

The court ruled that seven children involved in the case would be entrusted to Quang Phuc Pagoda in Hanoi, while four would remain with individuals currently caring for them. These caretakers are required to process legal documentation to ensure the children's rights and long-term welfare.

T. Nhung