Đậu Thị Khuyên, 52, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hằng, 46, and Nguyễn Văn Khánh, 28. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Two women and a man have been arrested for facilitating people smuggling to Australia through Buddhist institutions using fake credentials.

The gang went to extreme lengths and even instructed a man to shave his head, wear robes and take photographs at a pagoda in order to give the impression he was a Buddhist monk.

They then contacted Buddhist organisations in Australia to obtain an invitation letter so the man could enter the country.

But the plan was that when he arrived in Australia, he would not be there to study at a retreat, but instead work illegally on a farm.

The Investigation Security Agency in the central province of Hà Tĩnh have arrested the trio for trafficking and forging seals and documents of agencies and organisations.

The decision has been approved by the People's Procuracy at the same level.

The three people arrested are Đậu Thị Khuyên, 52, from Hà Tĩnh Province’s Nghi Xuân District, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hằng, 46, from in HCM City’s District 7, and Nguyễn Văn Khánh, 28, who lives in Đồng Nai Province.

According to the case file, since the end of 2023, Hà Tĩnh Province Police had obtained information that several individuals were exploiting Buddhist institutions' frequent organisation of study retreats in Australia for Buddhists worldwide.

They connected and organised for many people in various localities to illegally flee to Australia for labour by forging monk credentials. The cost for each successful trip was VNĐ300 million per person.

The police determined that at the beginning of 2024, Khuyên and Hằng agreed to organise for Hồ Văn Thìn, 36, residing in Nghệ An Province, to go to Australia for labour under the guise of a monk on a study retreat.

Once Thìn successfully entered Australia, Hằng would arrange for an acquaintance to pick him up and place him in agricultural work in Australia.

In February 2024, Hằng and Khuyên directly arranged for Thìn to shave his head, wear monk robes, and go to Kim Quảng Pagoda in Đà Nẵng City’s Liên Chiểu District to take photos, pretending to participate in the pagoda's activities for the visa application file to Australia.

Next, Hằng contacted religious institutions in Australia to obtain an invitation letter for Thìn to participate in Buddhist activities under the guise of a monk practicing at Kim Quảng Pagoda with the monastic name Thích Giác Ngộ.

Hằng then contacted Khánh to alter Thìn's portrait on his citizen identification card to make him appear as a Buddhist follower.

On the night of May 4, after receiving payment, Hằng handed over the travel visa to Australia to Thìn and arranged for a car to take him to HCM City’s Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport for departure procedures.

At the airport, Thìn was stopped by authorities to clarify related matters. There is no suggestion any Buddhist organisation was aware of the illegal activities.

The Hà Tĩnh Province Police are continuing to investigate the case. – VNS