Vietnamese authorities arrested 26-year-old Ly Van Sang on 17 August for human trafficking after he smuggled 16 people into the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos to work in an online scamming operation. He later confessed to the charges.
According to Vietnamese media, Sang and his accomplices lured victims with promises of easy work and high pay.
Having previously worked for a company in the SEZ, Sang turned to criminal activity in early 2024, targeting residents from western communes of Nghe An Province.
In March, he deceived 16 individuals from Cam Phuc and Con Cuong districts with offers of light work, a monthly salary of VND 17 million (about USD 650), free accommodation, daily meals, and covered travel expenses, which he claimed were benefits provided by Lao companies.
Instead, the victims were forced to work more than 17 hours a day as online scammers, impersonating Vietnamese officials to defraud fellow citizens.
Those who failed to meet quotas faced brutal punishments, including beatings and wage theft. The conditions grew so unbearable that some risked escape in hopes of returning home.
The case followed a July crackdown, when Lao and Vietnamese police jointly arrested 59 Vietnamese nationals in the SEZ for running a fraudulent investment platform called ATFX, which lured victims on social media with false promises of high returns.