VietNamNet Bridge – Three women in the southern province of Tay Ninh received stiff prison terms yesterday for their involvement in a human trafficking ring.

The Tay Ninh People’s Court sentenced Nguyen Thi Thuy, 29, Vo Thi Hoang, 44, and Dang Thi Kieu, 55, to 10, six and five years in prison respectively.

Thuy was a victim herself, having been sold to a Chinese man in 2009 by a trafficking ring operated by Nguyen Thi Thu Xi, now in prison.

However, Thuy turned from a victim to a perpetrator after she was contacted by another Vietnamese woman in China called Hong. She was asked to return to Viet Nam, find women in the southeastern province of Tay Ninh and “introduce” them to China. The women were then sold to Chinese men.

Thuy told the court that she was forced to leave her child behind to return to Viet Nam, implying she was forced to do what she did.

She also told the court that she was not guilty of any crime, insisting that she was doing “humanitarian” work by finding foreign husbands for Vietnamese women.

However, the court rejected her argument saying women were not goods to be bought and sold.

The prosecutors said that Thuy received VND5 million (US$238) for bringing each woman to northeastern Quang Ninh Province’s Mong Cai Border Gate. She was given an additional VND3 million (US$140) after the victim was sold to a Chinese man, they added.

The indictment said Thuy cheated a total of 11 women that she introduced to Hong, who sold each victim for VND100 million (US$4,760) in China.

Thuy was arrested in January at the Mien Dong (East bound) Bus Terminal in HCM City with three women she was taking to Quang Ninh Province.

Hoang and Kieu were hired by Thuy to procure women to be trafficked to China, the indictment said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News