Nguyen Thanh Dung, 44, Nguyen Hoai Phuong, 35, and Sa Liem, 37, were sentenced to four, seven, and three years in jail respectively by the An Giang court.

Le Thi Khanh, 47, Vu Thi Lieu, 51, and Tran Thi Thu Hang, 54, were sentenced to nine-and-a-half, seven, and six years in jail respectively in Dak Lak.

They were charged with organizing and brokering illegal emigration.

Phuong had organized the illegal entry and exit from Vietnam to Cambodia and vice versa in July using motorbikes and ferries. Each time someone crossed the border, Phuong would receive VND2 million ($86.44). Phuong also cooperated with Liem, in charge of transporting clients from Vietnam to Cambodia and vice versa, and paid him VND500,000 per shipment.

After getting caught red-handed while helping someone enter Vietnam from Cambodia on August 7, Phuong ran away, before turning himself in on August 14. Liem was arrested on August 18.

Phuong had helped 11 people enter and exit Vietnam illegally, earning VND28 million in the process. Liem had assisted three people to enter and exit Vietnam illegally, the court heard.

Dung confessed to have organized the illegal entry and exit into Vietnam of 20 people since May, earning VND39 million. He was further in charge of transporting people from Vietnam to Cambodia on behalf of another culprit, who paid Dung VND1.5 million per person. Dung had received VND5 million in total from this man, the court heard. He was arrested on August 7.

The Dak Lak group smuggled people across the Vietnam-China border.

Khanh contacted Lieu in 2017 to request her help in reaching the China border, which he planned to cross to obtain work. The duo succeeded.

In August 2018, Hang asked Khanh to help her husband and son cross the border. The latter then brought the husband to see Lieu at the border. Khanh earned VND4 million from the deal, while Lieu pocketed VND100,000. A month later, Hang and Khanh also successfully helped a couple bring their child to China where they planned to find jobs.

From August 2018 to April 2019, Khanh and Lieu had helped 21 Vietnamese illegally enter China for work. Hang meanwhile had helped six Vietnamese illegally enter China for the same purpose, the court heard. Khanh, Lieu, and Hang were arrested in February this year.

Vietnam has closed its borders since late March to keep out Covid-19. Everyone allowed to enter must remain in quarantine for 14 days.