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Nguyen Thi Xoa, 36, of Bac Ninh Province confessed to the police that in June she had contacted some people in China and agreed to their offer to let Chinese nationals come and stay at her motel in Tu Son Town.
Since March Vietnam has not allowed foreigners, except diplomats, certain business executives and investors, to enter as part of its efforts to combat Covid-19.
On July 31 police raided Xoa’s place where 27 Chinese were staying.
When officers arrived, the manager told the Chinese to escape through a window and jump on the roof of the neighboring house, but they failed to do so.
Xoa told the police she did not know the Chinese had been staying illegally at her boarding house, and blamed it all on the manager, Dinh Phu Thuong, 31. This man was then arrested for investigation.
As police ostensibly believed her, she went on to bring in 20 more Chinese to stay at her place.
She even rented a warehouse next door so that the Chinese could hide in case of a raid.
On August 4 the police raided her place again and she hid the 20 Chinese in the warehouse.
Worrying she might be caught, she told them to find another place and move out immediately.
They contacted another person and sought to move to Bac Ninh Town but were caught by the police.
The police said the Chinese had entered Vietnam on foot through the border in Lang Son Province, and traveled to Bac Ninh to find a place to do business, open restaurants and look for freelance jobs.
They were each fined VND4 million ($170) for entering illegally and sent back to China.
