Chinese man arrested for bringing foreigners into Vietnam illegally

Gao Liang Gu, 42, suspected to be the ringleader, was arrested Saturday night at a hotel in Da Nang’s Ngu Hanh Son District.

He is believed to have organized a ring bringing Chinese nationals into central Vietnam's Da Nang City and nearby Quang Nam Province illegally in recent times, police said.

On Sunday, police took Gu to Quang Nam as they expanded the investigation.

The arrest was made soon after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the Ministry of Public Security to investigate the illegal entry of foreigners to central Vietnam, following Saturday morning’s confirmation of the first Covid-19 community transmission in 100 days.

Authorities have found 73 Chinese nationals illegally entering Da Nang and Quang Nam via unofficial routes over the past few days.

On July 21, Da Nang police arrested a Chinese national and two Vietnamese citizens to question them about their involvement in a ring bringing foreigners into the city, but the three were granted bail.

Vietnam has recorded four cases of Covid-19 community transmission in the past few days, three in Da Nang and one in nearby Quang Ngai Province, the first of which broke Vietnam's 99-day streak with no community transmission. Health authorities have yet to confirm what are the infection sources for the cases.

The country has banned entry by foreign nationals since March 22 with exceptions and conditions, including 14-day quarantining on arrival.