Da Nang police have arrested a man for helping foreigners enter Vietnam in the guise of experts, in the context of Vietnam having closed its borders to international arrivals to avoid COVID-19 spread since last year, except for certain cases.

Officers under the municipal Department of Public Security captured Nguyen Tran Anh Tuan, 34, who hails from the south-central province of Binh Thuan, on Wednesday afternoon.

They also searched Tuan’s house and several company headquarters involved in the case.

According to preliminary information, police officers inspected some apartments at The Point Villa on Truong Sa Street in Ngu Hanh Son District on April 26 and discovered 14 South Korean nationals who were staying there for the wrong purposes compared to those stated in their visas.

The foreigners said they had contacted a South Korean man who claimed to be a company director in Vietnam via some advertisements on such social media networks as Naver, KakaoTalk, and Telegram in early February.

In order to enter Vietnam, they only needed to send passport photos and paid US$2,500 each, while the rest would be taken care of by the South Korean man.

The man then contacted Tuan, who owned three companies in Vietnam, namely J.D.K., DK Global, and Guppo.

The three companies sponsored the group of South Korean citizens so that they could enter Vietnam as experts.

Tuan also faked the signature of Gan Gwang Eun, director of Main Trade and Service Company, to sponsor three of the South Korean nationals.

Tuan received a total of $2,400 when the job was done.

Vietnam has sealed its borders since March last year but it still grants entry to diplomats, foreign experts, and Vietnamese repatriates.

The country requires all arrivals from outside the country to undergo different forms of quarantine to stem the spread of COVID-19.