Sixty-one Vietnamese citizens rescued from casinos in Myanmar

Hanoi, October 27 (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar and local authorities verified that 61 Vietnamese citizens have been rescued from casinos in Myanmar, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang told a regular press conference in Hanoi on October 26. Hang said in recent days, the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar and the ministry’s Consular Department have received information from Myanmar authorities that nearly 200 foreign nationals, including Vietnamese citizens, have been rescued from fraudulent casinos in the northern border areas of Myanmar. Upon receiving the information, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed the embassy to work with local authorities to verify the case and request Myanmar ensure accommodations for Vietnamese citizens, quickly launch an investigation to define their antecedents, she said. The ministry asked the embassy and relevant units to immediately coordinate with domestic and Myanmar authorities to carry out necessary consular procedures and devise a plan to protect and assist in repatriating Vietnamese citizens right after the Myanmar authorities reach a final conclusion on the incident. If there is any information about family members who have been rescued in Myanmar, Vietnamese citizens could contact the Consular Department’s citizen protection hotline at 84 981 84 84 84 or 84 965 41 11 18, or the citizen protection hotline of the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar at 95 9660888998.-VNA