Interpreters jailed for helping Chinese nationals enter Vietnam

Ha Hoang Son, 29, and his girlfriend Dang Thi Thuy Linh, 27, will be jailed for 15 and nine years respectively for “organizing for people to exit, enter and stay in Vietnam illegally,” a court in central Da Nang City announced Tuesday.

According to the verdict, a Chinese man named A Hai contacted Son and Linh on Dec.7, 2020 via Chinese messaging platform WeChat, asking them to book a room for two illegal Chinese entrants in Da Nang.

Son rented a room at a hotel in Ngu Hanh Son District at the cost of VND13.5 million ($580) for one month but the price he told A Hai was VND18.5 million. He and his girlfriend pocketed the VND5 million.

On Dec. 12, 2020, A Hai again asked Son and Linh to rent rooms for five other illegal Chinese entrants to Vietnam. This time, Son and Linh raised the hotel cost by VND17 million.

Between Feb. 21 and 25 last year, Son and Linh organized for four Chinese nationals to break into Vietnam, stay in Da Nang and move to Ho Chi Minh City. They earned VND35 million from the hotel cost.

From Feb. 22 to 26, they organized for eight Chinese that had entered Vietnam illegally to return home and profited more than VND120 million.

In all cases, the Chinese had no legal papers or visa to enter Vietnam.