24 foreigners arrested over possible high-tech crime

Policemen from the Ministry of Public Security and central Khanh Hoa Province have arrested 24 foreigners at a hotel in Nha Trang City over a possible high-tech crime case.

"We have detained 24 suspects, including 20 Chinese, 3 Taiwanese and 1 local people working as an employee to care for food, rent and interpreting job," said Colonel Nguyen Anh Hong, deputy chair of Khanh Hoa Province Police Department.

The law enforcement force have also seized high-tech equipment including laptops, 37 land-line phones, 8 cell phones, 14 radio devices, 2 high-speed Internet connection hub and other electronic devices.

The suspects would be kept in custody for investigation of violations of Vietnam laws such as failing to register for temporary residency and using high technology to commit crimes, Hong said.

The operations of this group of foreigners have violated political and information security of Vietnam, he added.

According to an officer of the police panel, the victims of those suspects are mainly the Chinese in a province in Chona.

The group of suspects had used the Internet and VoiceIP talk service to find information about the victims - often those committing frauds – and then disguised as the authorities to request the victim to provide bank account numbers or transfer money to their accounts for investigation.