Former top immigration official arrested in pandemic flight bribery scandal

Colonel Tran Van Du, 61, former deputy director of the Immigration Department at the Public Security Ministry, was among six people arrested Monday as investigation into the repatriation flight scandal was expanded, the ministry’s spokesman To An Xo said.

Nguyen Mai Anh, 46, an international relations specialist at the Government Office, Ngo Quang Tuan, 38, an international relations specialist at the Transport Ministry, and Vu Sy Cuong, 36, a former immigration official at the Public Security Ministry, also face charges of taking bribes.

Bui Huy Hoang, 34, an official at the Health Ministry, was arrested under fraud charges, and Nguyen Tien Manh, 52, a travel business leader, was arrested for giving bribes.

Vietnam had operated around 2,000 repatriation flights to bring home residents stranded overseas due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But many people had to buy very expensive tickets and complete tortuous procedures to get a seat on repatriation flights.

Investigation found many officials and business leaders had taken advantage of the policy to earn money. Each repatriation flight organized during the Covid-19 pandemic earned profits of several billion Vietnamese dong (VND1 billion = $42,750) after deducting costs, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

A series of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and tourism firm directors have been arrested for their involvement in bribery while organizing these flights.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung was arrested in April for taking bribes.