HANOI, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Over 3,000 Vietnamese were trafficked between 2012 and 2017, of whom more than 2,500 have been rescued or managed to returned home by themselves, the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday.
Among all victims of human trafficking, mostly young women and girls in rural, mountainous or remote areas, over 85 percent were trafficked to foreign countries, and the remainder were forced to work hard in Vietnam, mainly at brothels, massage or karaoke lounges.
In the five-year period, 37 cities and provinces nationwide received over 1,000 tips about human trafficking. As a result, local police prosecuted more than 1,000 cases of human trafficking which involved over 2,000 suspects.
According to police officers, traffickers often approached and deceived teen girls with disadvantaged backgrounds and low levels of education, promising to help them get well-paid jobs or get married to wealthy foreigners.
To prevent and curb human trafficking, Vietnam is focusing on raising public awareness about the issue, strictly handling traffickers, strongly supporting victims, quickly perfecting its legal framework, closely monitoring the enforcement of relevant laws and regulations, and fostering international cooperation, said the officers.
