Five Chinese people were detained by the border guards. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐIỆN BIÊN — Border guards and police in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên have arrested four people for attempting to illegally bring Chinese nationals to Laos.

One of the four, Nguyễn Văn Sinh, 33, residing in Pom Lót Commune, Điện Biên District, was detained on April 1 in Ca Hâu Hamlet, Na Ư Commune, Điện Biên District, when he was driving a taxi with four Chinese citizens towards the border area.

According to police, Sinh said he hired two taxis to transport nine Chinese nationals from Điện Biên Phủ City to Na Ư Commune, then Và A Phong, a local resident in the commune, would take them to the border area for illegal immigration into Laos. 

After detaining Sinh, forces arrested Và A Phong, 21, who lives in Con Cang Hamlet, Na Ư Commune, while he was taking five Chinese nationals to the border area.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Văn Thịnh, 36, residing in Thanh Hòa Hamlet, Thanh Luông Commune, Điện Biên District, and Nguyễn Văn Nhật, 35 and residing in hamlet 4, Pom Lót Commune, Điện Biên District, were summoned to clarify their roles in the case. 

The Chinese nationals said they had business establishments in Laos and were expelled from the nation in 2020. Via social networks, they contacted a person, suspected to be Vietnamese, who said he could take people from China’s Yunnan Province to Việt Nam’s northern area where they would cross the border illegally to Laos. Each needed to pay some VNĐ250 million (US$10,859) for the transportation. 

Further investigation into the case is underway. — VNS