Vietnamese parents forced to buy back children as human trafficking crisis in Cambodia escalates

In the first half of this year, Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have rescued 250 people who were lured to Cambodian casinos by human traffickers. In a joint operation, authorities are continuing to bring home Vietnamese nationals. Chinese crime syndicates are believed to be behind the human trafficking operations in Cambodia that have targeted individuals from South East Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Colonel Khong Ngoc Oanh, the head of Human Trafficking Prevention of the Ministry of Public Safety, stated thousands of people have been lured by traffickers who promised them “easy jobs with high wages,” when in fact, they were taken to production facilities and casinos and held as prisoners. Once the victims are under the casino owner’s roof, the workers are exploited. They can only return home if they pay the captors a ransom of up to $30,000, according to authorities.

Vietnamese media reported Monday that four families in Hai Phong City had to pay thousands of dollars in ransom to buy back their children in April after they were tricked by a friend. A group of teenagers, aged 16 to 17, were trafficked to Cambodia by 45-year-old Nguyen Van Anh, who developed close relationships with the children and their families.

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