HCMC human trafficking ring for Cambodian scam companies busted

By Quoc Thang January 7, 2025 | 03:30 pm PT

Bui Thi Tam Tuyen (L) and Vo Hai Duong are arrested by the police of HCMC. Photo courtesy of the police

Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled a human trafficking ring that lured victims with false job offers and sold them to criminal gangs in Cambodia, where they faced confinement, exploitation and torture.

Bui Thi Tam Tuyen, 40, Vo Hai Duong, 23, and three accomplices were arrested on Tuesday on charges of human trafficking, usury and illegal detainment, according to the police.

The investigation began after the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia alerted HCMC authorities about 31 Vietnamese nationals detained in Cambodia for legal violations and another five who had been rescued.

Police discovered that several of them had coerced or forced others to travel from Vietnam to Cambodia under false pretenses, often to work in casinos or scam operations. Following raids in multiple locations, authorities uncovered the scale of the operation.

The syndicate targeted victims by promising lucrative jobs in Cambodia. Once there, the workers were confined 24/7, forced to meet grueling quotas, and subjected to severe punishments if they failed. Beatings, torture, and starvation were among the reported abuses, Tuyen told the police.

Cambodian scam facilities, established by foreigners, often hire Vietnamese workers for tasks such as translation, coercing others to gamble and recruiting new victims.

The investigation is ongoing.