Vietnamese youth sells girlfriend for a few bucks

Tran Tien Manh is being investigated for human trafficking.

The police said that Manh met a 19-year-old woman on social media and developed a relationship with her.

On July 17, Manh told his girlfriend he wanted to take her to China to visit a foster mother.

But when the two arrived at the border area in Mong Cai Town of Quang Ninh Province, he sold her to a Chinese person, who is yet to be identified, for VND15 million.

After two months in China, the girlfriend escaped and returned to Vietnam. She reported the story to the police.

In China, she was meant to become wife of a Chinese man but was treated like a prisoner and was not allowed to go outside the house. Taking advantage of an opportunity when her "husband" let his guard down, she escaped.

Police found Manh in Cao Bang Province, which also borders China.

Tran Tien Manh at the police station in Cao Bang on October 6, 2020. Photo by police.

China is a top destination for human trafficked victims from Vietnam.

In most (84 percent) of the 1,000 trafficking cases uncovered between 2016 and 2019, the victims were sold to China, the Ministry of Public Security said last year.

Most victims were women or children from northern border provinces.