A court in Hanoi on Friday sentenced Truong Thi Quyen, 35, a native of central Nghe An Province, to 30 months behind bars for "organizing illegal entry into Vietnam."

Her accomplices Nguyen Huu Trung, 32, and Nguyen Van Dung, 40, respectively got 15 months and one year in jail for the same charge.

According to investigators, Quyen used to illegally enter China, return to Vietnam and even organized for several Vietnamese to enter China illegally.

From last December, she started to smuggle Chinese into Vietnam but was not caught until January.

The verdict stated that in early January this year, Quyen was ordered by a person identified only as Hung to bring two Chinese nationals from Cao Bang Province that borders China to Hanoi.

As agreed by both sides, Quyen would be paid VND6 million ($265) for the job.

Quyen hired Trung to drive a car from Hanoi to Cao Bang to collect the Chinese. She promised to pay him VND3.8 million.

Trung, asking Dung to join him, successfully brought the Chinese back to Hanoi.

After deducting expenses, Quyen got VND1.8 million from the business, Trung VND800,000, and Dung VND2.5 million.

On Jan. 5, Trung rented a room for the two Chinese to temporarily stay in Gia Lam District of Hanoi and sent Quyen the address.

As police inspected the hotel, they found the two Chinese without legal papers. Via them, police arrested Trung and Dung on Jan. 8, and caught Quyen two days later.

Both Chinese have been deported.

Vietnam closed borders from March last year to avoid Covid-19 infection risks. Only certain groups of foreigners have been allowed in and they have to stay at least 14 days in quarantine.