Vietnamese woman charged with organizing illegal stays for foreigners in southern Vietnam

Earlier, on the evening of June 23 and early morning of June 24, the Immigration Management Division under Dong Nai City Police, in coordination with relevant units, conducted simultaneous administrative inspections at 12 accommodation establishments in Tran Bien and Tam Hiep wards.

At around 1:30 am on June 24, police inspected houses A34 and A35 on D5 Street in Vinh Thanh residential quarter, Tran Bien Ward, and found 35 foreigners without valid entry documents.

Further inspections at house A26B on Pham Van Nghia Street in Residential Quarter 15, Tam Hiep Ward, uncovered five more foreigners without passports.

At apartment B1801 in the Topaz Twins apartment building, authorities found another foreigner without valid entry documents.

Initial investigations found that a total of 43 foreigners had illegally entered Vietnam and failed to declare their temporary residence as required by law.

Renting houses to illegally accommodate foreigners

Further investigation found that Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh, 30, a resident in Tran Bien Ward, played a key role in arranging accommodation for the foreigners.

Linh had been living as husband and wife with Li Kun, a Chinese national, since 2017, and they have a child together.

In early May 2026, Li Kun was hired through a WhatsApp account named “Co Co” to find accommodation for around 30 foreigners coming to Vietnam to livestream sales.

Li Kun and Linh initially rented a house on Vo Thi Sau Street to accommodate the group. The foreigners were later moved elsewhere by “Co Co.”

Linh later rented two houses, A34 and A35, on D5 Street, and apartment B1801 in the Topaz Twins apartment building to accommodate the foreigners.

Investigators found that Linh personally signed the rental contracts and received rent payments from Li Kun and the foreigners.

She also hired workers to carry out repairs, install cameras, and purchase beds, mattresses and household items for the foreigners' accommodation.

Go Qing, a Chinese national, had asked Linh to help arrange the rental of house A26B on Pham Van Nghia Street in April 2026 to accommodate several foreigners staying in Vietnam illegally, investigators found.

During questioning, Go Qing was unable to produce valid documents for the foreigners.

Police determined that Linh had rented apartment B1801 under her name for Zhao Hong, a Chinese national, to accommodate three foreigners.

Two had entered Vietnam legally but their temporary residence had not been declared, while the third lacked valid entry documents.

Zhao Hong left Vietnam on June 23, but the three foreigners continued to stay in the country illegally.

Property fraud and gambling cases uncovered

During the investigation, police also found that Linh had recruited Lang Hoai Lam, 27, from Lang Son Province, Tran Van Dung, 32, from Ha Tinh Province, and Li Yan, 39, a Chinese national and Li Kun's older brother, to use computer networks, telecommunications networks and electronic devices to commit property fraud.

According to police, the group defrauded victims of 1,090.21 USDT, a cryptocurrency worth approximately VND28.3 million (US$1,093 ), by luring Americans into investing in fake Tesla charging stations.

Police seized five computers, 11 mobile phones and a tablet.

On July 2, the Investigation Police Agency under Dong Nai City Police initiated legal proceedings against Linh for illegally using computer networks, telecommunications networks and electronic devices to appropriate property.

Linh, who was raising a young child, was banned from leaving her place of residence.

Linh was also prosecuted and banned from leaving her place of residence for organizing illegal stays in Vietnam for others.

On July 3, police initiated a criminal case and prosecuted three Chinese nationals, Han Xu, 32, Lin Kang Ling, 22, and Song Yue Qi, 37, for gambling.

On July 6, police initiated a criminal case and prosecuted Li Kun, placing him in temporary detention.

The Investigation Police Agency under Dong Nai City Police has issued investigation conclusions in the cases and forwarded them to the same-level People's Procuracy, recommending the prosecution of the defendants in accordance with the law.