Police in Lao Cai province announced on November 5 that they had launched a criminal investigation and charged four suspects with distributing obscene materials in connection with an illicit livestreaming network operating since 2025.

The operation reportedly extended beyond Lao Cai to several other provinces and cities across Vietnam.

The four suspects were identified as Ly Lo May, 23, and Lo Ta May, 28, both residents of Ta Phin commune in Lao Cai province, along with Pham Van Trong, 37, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Yen, 38, both from Ninh Binh province.

According to investigators, the group created accounts on adult websites operated overseas and used social media platforms, including Telegram, Zalo and Facebook, to recruit women facing financial hardship or unstable employment.

The women were allegedly persuaded to participate in sexually explicit livestreams to generate illicit profits for the network.

Viewers were required to transfer money through bank accounts or purchase prepaid phone cards to obtain virtual tokens.

These tokens could then be used to watch livestreams and request sexually explicit performances from participants.

Investigators found that payments made by viewers were routed through multiple bank accounts and electronic wallets before being converted into the USDT stablecoin and eventually distributed to the women conducting the livestreams.

The total value of financial transactions passing through accounts linked to the operation reached VND4.189 trillion, equivalent to approximately $160 million, according to police.

Authorities identified Ly Lo May and Lo Ta May as the individuals who directly performed the sexually explicit livestreams.

Meanwhile, Pham Van Trong and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Yen allegedly managed and operated the network, including arranging payments to participating women.

The Security Investigation Agency under Lao Cai Provincial Police has so far recovered VND1.65 billion (approximately $63,000) in illicit proceeds.

Investigators are continuing to expand the case and determine the roles of other individuals potentially involved in the operation.

Duc Hoang