Vietnam deports 7 Chinese men for illegal entry

A photo provided by Quang Ninh Police shows the seven Chinese who were deported for illegal entry.

Police in Quang Ninh Province on Vietnam's northern border deported seven Chinese nationals on Thursday after fining them VND28 million ($1,200) for illegal entry into the country.

The police found the men, aged between 18 and 41, staying in an apartment building last week although there was no official record of them entering the country, local media reported.

They said they had crossed a river at the border before hiring a Vietnamese driver to take them deep into the province, from where they planned to take a trip to the famous Ha Long Bay.

Police also fined the driver VND7.5 million.

Ha Long, a UNESCO heritage site, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Vietnam. The number of Chinese tourists has been rising this year following Quang Ninh's decision to ease visa requirements and allow Chinese visitors traveling on tours to stay for up to three days without a visa.

Border gate managers in March said around 5,000 Chinese people were crossing every day, and up to 15,000 during the weekends, not to mention those who entered illegally.

In February, Quang Ninh also fined four Chinese nationals VND16 million ($700) for illegal entry.

More than 2.2 million Chinese visited Vietnam in the first seven months this year, up 51 percent from the same period last year.