Vietnamese Women Freed from Chinese Marriage Traffickers
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A group operating under the guise of a marriage brokerage in Vietnam has been uncovered, involving the trafficking of Vietnamese women to China.
According to the local media Tuoi Tre, on the 27th, Vietnamese law enforcement initiated an investigation on the 27th, resulting in the apprehension of five individuals in Ho Chi Minh City and Dak Nong Province. They were suspected of trafficking Vietnamese women to China under the pretense of a marriage brokerage. Among those arrested were two women and one man, including the alleged ringleader, Van Tuyet Mai.
Authorities revealed that Mai, of Chinese descent and married to a Chinese national, frequently traveled between China and Vietnam. Last year, she learned of the demand for Vietnamese brides among Chinese men willing to pay substantial sums. Depending on the age and appearance of the women, the earnings per successful match were estimated at 200 million to 300 million dong (approximately $8,600 to $12,900). Subsequently, Mai and her associates began trafficking individuals while posing as a marriage brokerage.
The trafficking operation enticed financially disadvantaged women from the southern highlands of Dak Nong Province by offering them a substantial sum ranging from 80 million to 120 million dong (approximately $3,400 to $5,100) in exchange for marrying Chinese men. Once a Chinese suitor, whether they had visited Vietnam in person or connected with the women online, made their selection, the group facilitated the necessary paperwork. This included arranging for passports, visas, and health certificates for the women. Subsequently, they transported the women to China, delivered them to their prospective husbands, and received fees for successfully orchestrating the matches.
Upon arrival in China, the victims had their passports and cell phones taken and were forced into marriages. If they resisted, they were threatened with having to repay all the marriage costs paid by the Chinese men, and their return to their home country was obstructed. Mai and her accomplices are believed to have deceived dozens of Vietnamese women and taken them to China using this method since May of this year. The authorities are continuing their investigation to identify additional victims.
In Vietnam, there are frequent cases of impoverished women being deceived by promises of high wages or marrying Chinese men and going to China, only to be subjected to violence and forced labor.
By. Rina Jeong
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