Creating a combined strength in preventing and combating human trafficking crimes on the Vietnam - Laos border

Successfully combating and destroying criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking and large-scale online fraud... This activity contributes to ensuring political security and social order and safety in border areas, serving economic and social development, strengthening cooperation, friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

The feats of solidarity

In mid-July 2024, at Cau Treo international border gate (Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province), Vientiane City Police (Laos) handed over 7 Vietnamese victims who were part of a human trafficking ring from Vietnam to Laos. The rescued victims included 5 men from Con Cuong district, Nghe An province and 2 women from Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province.

Lao and Vietnamese police organize the handover and return of human trafficking victims to Vietnam. Photo: Anh Duong

Through investigation and verification, in early March 2024, the victims met a woman through social networks in Laos. This person lured 7 victims to make passports to go to Thailand to sell lottery tickets, paying 17 to 20 million VND per month. But when they arrived in Laos, they took the victims to the Bo Keo special economic zone to work by creating fake Zalo, App Walmark, and Facebook accounts to defraud the internet to appropriate property. Every day, they forced the victims to work from 13 to 18 hours. Realizing that this was wrong and illegal, the victims tried to contact their families and made a request for help from the border guards to be rescued.

This is just one of the cases of rescuing victims of human trafficking jointly carried out by the two functional agencies of Vietnam and Laos. In June and August 2024, the Criminal Police Department of Ha Tinh Provincial Police, Ha Tinh Border Guard in coordination with the Department of Police for Prevention of Human Trafficking Crimes - Lao Ministry of Public Security successfully fought and dismantled a large-scale criminal organization operating in the Golden Triangle Special Zone (Laos). Thereby, 162 subjects were arrested (both phases), and 48 victims related to human trafficking were rescued from Laos to Vietnam.

Colonel Pham Thanh Phuong, Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Provincial Police, said that the successful destruction of these projects is an especially outstanding achievement of the Vietnamese and Lao police in the fight against transnational cybercrime. The success of the project is the result of close coordination between professional units of Vietnam and Laos, contributing to stabilizing the political situation and social order and safety of the two countries Vietnam and Laos.

Building happy borders

The Vietnam-Laos border area has rugged terrain. Taking advantage of this, human trafficking criminals use many tricks to operate. Therefore, since 2010, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the Ministry of Security of the Lao PDR organized the signing ceremony of the Vietnam-Laos bilateral cooperation agreement on preventing human trafficking and protecting victims of trafficking. The agreement is an effective measure in the fight against human trafficking crimes and contributes to strengthening cooperation on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit of the two countries Vietnam and Laos.

In recent times, the two sides have proactively prevented and stopped human trafficking crimes on the Vietnam-Laos border, contributing to ensuring political security and social order and safety in the border area, serving economic and social development, strengthening the long-standing, close-knit, friendly, cooperative relationship between the two countries.

Specifically, the authorities of the two countries maintain information channels to regularly update and exchange relevant situations, maintain annual meetings, meetings, and exchange delegations at all levels, especially between localities. Actively promote joint communication activities, especially in the border areas of each country to raise public awareness of preventing and combating human trafficking, illegal exit, illegal labor and migration. Continue to closely coordinate to detect, verify, prosecute and investigate cases and incidents with signs of human trafficking crimes operating in the territories of the two countries.

Strengthen the professional management of subjects with criminal records and signs of collusion to form networks and gangs. Coordinate and effectively implement the peak period of attacks and suppression of human trafficking crimes on the Vietnam - Laos border. Research, review, propose amendments and supplements to the Standard Procedures in accordance with the situation of human trafficking crimes and the laws of each country.

The Vietnam Border Guard's Drug and Crime Prevention Department and the Lao Police Department for Human Trafficking Prevention and Control, General Department of Police, Ministry of Security signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking. Photo: Duy Khiem

Recently, the Department of Drug and Crime Prevention of the Vietnam Border Guard and the Department of Police for Human Trafficking Prevention, General Department of Police, Ministry of Security (Laos) held a conference to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking.

The signed Memorandum of Understanding will be an important legal document for functional units of Vietnam and Laos to carry out specific activities to improve the effectiveness of preventing and combating human trafficking crimes; rescuing, supporting, protecting and transferring victims of trafficking; contributing to affirming the efforts and political determination of the two governments in preventing and combating human trafficking with the international community.

The signing also affirms that Vietnam and Laos are active members in implementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Palermo Protocol against Trafficking in Persons.

Since the beginning of 2024, the Vietnam Border Guard has coordinated with the Lao border management and protection force to arrest and handle 41 cases/86 illegal entry and exit subjects; coordinated to receive and rescue 90 Vietnamese citizens who were victims of human trafficking crimes.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/tao-suc-manh-tong-hop-trong-phong-chong-toi-pham-mua-ban-nguoi-tren-bien-gioi-viet-lao-207598.html