Awareness campaign by volunteers about human trafficking in Diễn Châu District, Nghệ An Province. Photo vietnamnet.vn

VINH - Nghệ An Province has recently initiated an intensified campaign to combat human trafficking, in response to the ongoing efforts by local authorities and functional agencies to prevent and control such crimes.

This effort is particularly focused on raising awareness and cracking down on human trafficking until September 30, in conjunction with the "National Day Against Human Trafficking."

Over recent years, Nghệ An has seen significant socio-economic development, yet certain challenges persist, especially in remote areas where living conditions remain difficult. The awareness of legal matters among the population is still limited, and the issue of unemployment, particularly among young people, remains prevalent. These factors have been exploited by human traffickers, who often target women and children from these vulnerable communities.

Lieutenant Colonel Bùi La Sơn, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Nghệ An Provincial Police Department, highlighted the tactics commonly used by human traffickers in the region. These criminals typically exploit acquaintanceships or intermediaries to approach potential victims, luring them with promises of high-paying jobs or better lives abroad, often involving sham marriages. The perpetrators often prey on individuals from impoverished or remote areas with limited legal awareness, where unemployment is high, particularly among the youth. Areas such as Yên Thành, Diễn Châu, Con Cuông, Tương Dương, Kỳ Sơn, and Quế Phong are particularly affected.

In addition, traffickers have increasingly turned to social media platforms including Zalo and Facebook to entice and deceive their victims. Many of these operations are highly organised, involving tight-knit networks that recruit, transport, house, transfer, and exploit victims. The Nghệ An police have uncovered cases where victims were trafficked through Laos and Cambodia and then sold to Chinese or Chinese-origin criminal groups. Traffickers can earn between 15 million to 70 million VNĐ for each Vietnamese victim they smuggle abroad.

Once in Laos or Cambodia, victims are often forced into fraudulent activities using high-tech methods to scam other Vietnamese nationals or coerced into working for illegal online gambling operations. Those who refuse to comply with the traffickers' demands are subjected to physical abuse, imprisonment, and ransom demands, with some victims having to pay hundreds of millions of VNĐ for their release. In some cases, trafficked victims are manipulated into becoming perpetrators themselves, recruiting new victims in exchange for payment or promotion within the criminal organisations.

In response to this situation, the Nghệ An Provincial Police have partnered with local authorities and other relevant agencies to enhance their forecasting capabilities, particularly in key areas and online spaces. They are also advising local governments to mobilise the entire political system and public to implement comprehensive measures against human trafficking. This includes bolstering legal education and awareness campaigns and expanding existing anti-trafficking models in key areas.

The police have compiled lists of suspected human trafficking rings and individuals in the region for investigation and prosecution. They are also tracking long-term absences from the local area, as these individuals may be trafficking victims, and are conducting personalised outreach to those at risk.

Additionally, the Nghệ An police are scrutinising cases of individuals travelling abroad for work, particularly to China, Laos, and Cambodia. Regular inspections of businesses with security concerns, as well as border areas where trafficking activities are common, are also being intensified. The authorities are strengthening international cooperation in human trafficking prevention, ensuring timely information exchange, maintaining hotlines, and coordinating efforts to investigate, apprehend, and extradite traffickers, while providing support and assistance to Nghệ An residents who have been trafficked.

On the border, the Provincial Border Guard Command is working with other agencies to implement effective programmes and models to prevent human trafficking. This force, in coordination with various police levels, is also stepping up patrols, tightening border and coastal security, and closely monitoring immigration to prevent illegal crossings.

In the first six months of 2024, the Nghệ An Provincial Police uncovered and arrested suspects in eight human trafficking cases, apprehending 17 individuals and rescuing 17 victims. Between July 1 and July 31, 2024, they detected and arrested suspects in five additional cases involving eight individuals, rescuing 19 victims of human and child trafficking. VNS