Sweet promises and expensive prices
On December 23, information from Nghe An Provincial Police said that in recent times, the functional forces have made many outstanding feats in preventing human trafficking crimes in mountainous areas.
From September 2 to 7, 2025, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police presided over and coordinated with relevant forces to successfully break up a human trafficking case, simultaneously arresting 3 ringleaders, Vi Thi Lan, Lo Thi Vuong and Lo Thi Nham, thereby safely rescuing 13 Nghe An victims who were scammed into being sold to fraud companies in Tam Giac Vang Economic Zone.
The victims were all lured by the trick of "easy work, high salary", but in reality were forced to participate in fraud activities in cyberspace.
The above rescue not only prevented a human trafficking case, but also exposed the painful reality of the "honey traps" that are penetrating into the mountainous villages.
According to Nghe An Provincial Police, a common trick of human trafficking criminals is to take advantage of acquaintances, relatives or through intermediaries to approach victims. Invitations for "easy work, high salary", "only work in an office, on a computer" are being widely launched on social networking platforms such as Zalo, Facebook, targeting the psychology of people in rural and mountainous areas who want to change their lives and escape poverty.
Many victims were lured to Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, then sold to criminal groups in the Golden three-Winged Species, forced to participate in high-tech fraud or online gambling.
When falling into the " imprisonment", the victim's documents were confiscated, working from 12 to 17 hours a day, and being supervised and beaten if he did not reach the " targets". To return, many people had to pay hundreds of millions of VND in ransom.
Resolutely suppress, while promoting prevention
In reality, human trafficking crimes do not only come from cross-border networks, but sometimes originate within the community. On November 29, 2024, Nghe An Provincial People's Court sentenced Lu Thi Tuyen and Moong Thi Xuyen, both residing in Luong Minh Commune, to 5 years in prison each for the act of buying and selling a woman to China for profit.
The case of cut Thi Lien - who participated in propaganda to prevent and combat human trafficking at the facility, but together with her accomplices tricked and sold a 14-year-old girl to China. The 12-year prison sentence for Lien and 10 years in prison for his accomplices is not only a punishment of the law, but also a painful warning about degradation when greed overwhelms the conscience and betrays the trust of the community.
Faced with the complicated developments of this type of crime, Nghe An Provincial Police have successfully established and broken up many major special projects. In 2025, the authorities discovered and arrested dozens of cases, many subjects were trafficking in people, and rescued dozens of victims.
Propaganda changes awareness, creates social consensus
Speaking to reporters, the leader of the Nghe An Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions said that in recent years, propaganda and mobilization work has been synchronously implemented within the framework of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021-2025.
Through conferences, training courses, documents, and communication models in villages, hamlets, and schools, people's awareness of the law and the tricks of human trafficking criminals has changed significantly. More importantly, people no longer have the mentality of being afraid or giving up, but proactively coordinate with the government and functional forces in detecting and denouncing crimes, emphasized the leader of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions.
According to the assessment of the functional sector, when awareness was raised, the community formed a social consensus in protecting women and children, not assisting in brokerage and illegal attraction. Many village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people have become an "extended arm" in propaganda and mobilization, contributing to repelling the risk of human trafficking right from the grassroots.
From the short-lived rescue cases, the severe judgments to the persistent propaganda programs, it can be seen that the fight against human trafficking in Nghe An is not only the task of the authorities, but also a comprehensive effort of the entire political system and community.
When people's awareness is changed, livelihoods are improved and laws are strictly enforced, the "traps" of human trafficking will gradually lose their livelihood. That is the foundation to bring sustainable peace to Nghe An mountainous villages.
