In recent days, dozen of residents in central provinces of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa had been tricked into going to the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to pick coffee beans with meager payment.
Nguyen Van Tra from Hoa Binh 1 Commune, Tay Hoa District, Phu Yen Province said that in mid November, two people came to the commune seeking laborers to pick coffee beans Lam Ha District, Lam Dong province.
The strange people promised to pay him VND3 million a month together with accommodation fee.
Tra and some others in his commune got on a bus, carrying them to Minh Nghia job introduction center in Hoai Duc Commune, Lam Ha District.
Right after the bus arrived, about ten people surrounded them and then paid Minh Nghia center to take the chosen laborers home.
The employees just paid Tra and other seven people VND1.7 million a month each. In the first month, their salaries would be deducted by VND650,000 for travelling and eating fees and for Minh Nghia center.
Those who disagreed and wanted to go home had to pay the employees VND1.15 million including the VND650,000 above.
Three of eight people in Tra’s group ran away, the remaining had to call relatives for a ransom of VND9.2 million for all of them including the escaped ones.
The destiny of 20 other people on the same bus with Tra has not been known.
In the neighboring province of Khanh Hoa, Minh Nghia center also duped 30 others in Van Ninh District. Some of them ran way, some others have been redeemed while there has been no clue of the remaining people.
Lam Ha District Police and relevant officials investigated Minh Nghia center on December 1 and found that it has operated for two months but without license.
The center’s owner has singed in a document agreeing to temporarily stop operating as well as to remove its advertising board.
On the following day’s afternoon, the district police held a man in custody for the cheating 10 people from Dak Nong Province to pick coffee beans in Lam Dong.
He has declared his name only as Nghia and from Hiep An Commune, Duc Trong District of Lam Dong Province.
