The three men and two women were initially told they would work in Thailand but were deceived and forced into hard labour in Bokeo Province, Laos, according to the Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guard Command.
They worked on fraudulent social media accounts to appropriate property. They worked 13 to 18 hours every day, and if they failed to meet the quota, they would not be paid.
The victims were required to pay between VND150-200 million if they wanted to leave.
The Drug and Crime Prevention and Control Authority under the Border Guard Command and the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, a Hanoi-based non-governmental organisation that helps rescue human trafficking victims, in collaboration with the Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guard, successfully retrieved the five victims.
The victims were all transported to Cau Treo International Border Gate in Ha Tinh Province on May 2.
The Drug and Crime Prevention and Control Authority and the Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guard Command provided the victims with essential assistance. They were then handed over to the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, which helped them reunite with their families.
This was the third time Ha Tinh Provincial Border Guard Command have processed people who have escaped human trafficking.