Vietnam police indict captain for organizing unlawful exit of crew members

On Monday afternoon, provincial police announced the prosecution of Vo Quoc Toai, 36, a resident of Tuy Hoa Ward in Dak Lak Province and captain of fishing vessel PY-96896TS, on charges of arranging for others to unlawfully exit the country in order to engage in illegal fishing in foreign waters.

He has been barred from leaving his place of residence as the investigation proceeds.

Investigators said fishing vessel PY-96896TS departed Dong Tac Port in Phu Yen Ward, Dak Lak Province on April 18, 2025 with four crew members on board for offshore fishing.

While operating in Vietnamese waters on April 24, 2025, Toai allegedly removed the vessel monitoring system device and transferred it to another fishing boat, PY-90479-TS, captained by his younger brother Vo Quoc Nhien, in an attempt to evade tracking and supervision by fisheries surveillance authorities.

He then steered PY-96896TS into Philippine waters to fish illegally, according to investigators.

The boat was apprehended by Philippine law enforcement on May 9, 2025 and escorted to Salomague Port in Cabugao, Ilocos Sur Province.

On May 20, 2025, the Adjudication Committee of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 1, under the Philippines’ Ministry of Agriculture, concluded that vessel PY-96896TS had violated Article 91 of Republic Act No. 10654 by fishing illegally in Philippine waters.

Toai and the four crew members were fined 500,000 Philippine pesos (US$8,550), while the vessel, along with its fishing gear and equipment, was ordered confiscated.

After a period under centralized supervision at Salomague Port, Toai’s family and the vessel owner paid the fine to Philippine authorities.

On December 2, 2025, Toai and the four fishermen were transferred to an immigration detention facility in Manila.

On February 20, 2026, Philippine authorities deported them on a flight from Manila to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Dak Lak police said investigators had gathered sufficient evidence to determine that Toai’s actions constituted the crime of arranging for others to illegally exit the country, leading authorities to formally initiate criminal proceedings against him.