Vietnam arrests man for smuggling 26 Chinese nationals

Le Ngoc Bau, a resident of Thanh Hoa province, has been arrested in Gia Lai for organizing the illegal entry of 26 Chinese nationals into Vietnam.

According to the Quang Ninh City Police, Bau was hired by a Chinese man known as ‘Ga’ to facilitate the smuggling for a fee of 1.5 million VND per person. Bau recruited two accomplices, Trung Ngoc Xuan and Nguyen Ngoc Anh, to assist in the operation. The group used boats to pick up the individuals at sea near oyster rafts and transport them to designated locations.

The two smuggling trips took place on April 16 and 18, 2025. Following the successful transport of the 26 individuals, Bau fled and was subsequently placed on a wanted list in December 2025. Bau was apprehended on July 28, 2026, and has been handed over to the Security Investigation Agency for prosecution regarding the charge of ‘organizing illegal entry for others’.