On June 24, Ho Chi Minh City Police said they had recently detected multiple groups of foreign nationals who entered or stayed in Vietnam illegally while using hotels, apartments and rented houses in the city to prepare for or conduct transnational fraud operations.
Investigators found that, in addition to foreign organisers and ringleaders, several Vietnamese nationals had allegedly assisted the criminal networks for financial gain.
According to police, the suspects helped locate accommodation, rent hotels, apartments and houses, arrange living conditions, conceal personal identities, avoid mandatory residency declarations and facilitate the stay of individuals who had entered Vietnam illegally.
In one case, police inspected the Emerald Gold Hotel in Binh Duong Ward on June 8 and discovered 82 foreign nationals staying at the property. Among them, 23 individuals had no recorded immigration information.
Investigators alleged that Pham Thanh Son, born in 2000, and his accomplices rented and converted the premises into accommodation facilities before coordinating with foreign associates to receive large numbers of Chinese nationals entering Vietnam.
Police said the group managed hotel operations, arranged accommodation and hired staff without properly checking identification documents or reporting guests' residency status as required by law. Authorities alleged they knowingly provided shelter to individuals who had entered the country illegally.
In another case, Truong Thi Bich Tram, born in 2004, was accused of repeatedly helping foreign nationals rent apartments across the city to house individuals residing in Vietnam unlawfully.
Police take a statement from Truong Thi Bich Tram (Photo: Nguyen Trang).
According to investigators, Tram avoided signing rental contracts herself by using intermediaries, concealing the identities of occupants to evade detection by authorities. Between April and May, she and her associates allegedly rented multiple apartments in residential complexes to accommodate foreign nationals involved in online fraud activities.
Police also uncovered a separate operation after inspecting a house in Hiep Binh Ward, where they found 42 Chinese nationals living illegally. Four of them were suspected of having entered Vietnam unlawfully. Officers also seized electronic equipment believed to have been used in online scam operations.
Further investigation identified Nguyen Hong Thao Nhi, born in 1992, as the person responsible for renting the property, installing internet systems, purchasing equipment, supplying food and arranging accommodation for the group under instructions from Chinese organisers.
Defendant Nguyen Hong Thao Nhi (Photo: Nguyen Trang).
Authorities alleged that despite knowing the individuals were not eligible to register legal residency, Nhi continued to assist them in remaining in Vietnam for personal profit.
During the broader investigation, police also discovered six wanted foreign fugitives hiding among groups of illegal residents.
The Security Investigation Agency under Ho Chi Minh City Police has since charged Nguyen Hong Thao Nhi, Pham Thanh Son, Truong Thi Bich Tram and several other suspects on allegations of organising the illegal stay of foreign nationals in Vietnam.
Police said investigations into the wider network remain ongoing.
