Two foreigners sentenced for illegally sending people abroad

The Hanoi People’s Court on August 14 sentenced two foreigners to 15 months imprisonment for illegally taking people abroad.

They are 62-year-old Nagasawa Kazuaki from Japan and 38-year-old Lu Yu from China.

According to the indictment, in October 2018, Zhu Yanhua, 49, from China, established Vibaserco Overseas Study Consulting Ltd., Co. in an attempt to send people abroad illegally.

She employed Tran Dieu Thu, 28, residing in Lang Thuong ward, Dong Da district, Hanoi, as an interpreter and to perform some tasks regarding the sending of Vietnamese to Europe.

In the ring, Hoang Manh Duong, 36, residing in Tu Nhien commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi; and Nguyen Trong Duong, 33, from Bao Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, the central province of Nghe An, were tasked with seeking customers.

Those who want to go abroad will have to pay about 20,000 USD each.

From April to October 2019, Zhu Yanhua and her accomplices found four people who wanted to go to Germany and France via tourist visas and enter Schengen Area.

Lu Yu and Nagasawa Kazuaki came to Noi Bai International Airport on October 26, 2019, to give passports to the four people. However, customs officers detected that their visas to the Schengen Area are fake.

Upon hearing that information, Zhu Yanhua and Thu fled to Laos via Cau Treo border gate in the central province of Ha Tinh.

However, Thu returned to report to the authorities in October 2019, while Zhu Yanhua is still being hunted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.

The jury decided that after Lu Yu and Nagasawa Kazuaki completed their jail sentences, they will be expelled from Vietnam.

Manh Duong and Trong Duong each received 12-month suspended sentences, and were released at the court. Thu was given suspended sentences of 15 months.