Vietnamese smuggled to Australia as illegal worker under guise of Buddhist hermit

By Duc Hung July 2, 2024 | 10:49 pm PT

Ho Van Thin poses as a monk to emigrate to Australia as an illegal worker. Photo courtesy of the police

Three people have been arrested for forging documents to smuggle a man into Australia for work under the guise of "Buddhist pilgrimage" for VND300 million (US$11,800).

Dau Thi Khuyen, 52; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, 46; and Nguyen Van Khanh, 28 were arrested by police of central Ha Tinh Province on Tuesday for organizing illegal emigration and fabricating seals and documents.

Last year, Khuyen’s group promised to bring several Vietnamese nationals to Australia as illegal workers by forging visa applications, posing the workers as monks. Whoever wants to emigrate there must pay VND300 million.

At the time, several Buddhist facilities in Australia were organizing monk groups.

From left to right: Dau Thi Khuyen, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, Nguyen Van Khanh. Photo courtesy of the police

(From L) Dau Thi Khuyen, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, Nguyen Van Khanh. Photo courtesy of the police

Earlier this year, Ho Van Thin, who lives in Nghe An, contacted Khuyen’s group, who promised him jobs in agriculture with a stable income. In order to legitimize his documents, Thin was asked by Khuyen and Hang to shave his head and wear monk outfits, before bringing him to a pagoda to Da Nang to take photos, posing in Buddhist activities.

Hang then contacted Buddhist facilities in Australia to ask for invitation letters for Buddhist activities for Thin, as a monk practicing in Vietnam. To apply for visa, Hang and Khanh also discussed forging Thin’s personal ID.

On May 4, after receiving the fee, Khuyen’s group handed over the Australia visa and plane ticket as well as a fake ID to Thin, before sending him to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. The attempt was thwarted by authorities after they found out that several documents were illegal.

An investigation is ongoing.