Vietnamese citizens at an airport in Myanmar before being repatriated to Việt Nam in March last year. — VNA/VNS Photo

 HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that it had issued a decision to suspend work of four officials of its Consular Department to serve the investigation into a case of taking bribes while licensing firms that conducted repatriation flights for Vietnamese people.

Determining this as seeking profits illegally, with a spirit of "no forbidden zones, no exceptions and no tolerance," the ministry will closely coordinate with agencies on the case.

Earlier, the Investigation Security Agency under the Ministry of Public Security prosecuted and detained the four individuals for “taking bribes” under Article 354 of the Penal Code. Decisions on the search of their workplace and residence were also made.

The four are Nguyễn Thị Hương Lan, born in 1974, head of the Consular Department; Đỗ Hoàng Tùng, born in 1980, deputy head of the department; Lê Tuấn Anh, born in 1982, chief of the department’s office; and Lưu Tuấn Dũng, born in 1987, deputy head of the citizen protection desk at the department.

The investigation is being expanded to bring to light all those involved. —VNS