The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a number of Vietnamese citizens were arrested in Pakistan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a number of Vietnamese citizens were arrested in Pakistan while the country's authorities busted a call scam ring.

During a press conference on August 20, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang responded to the question that Pakistani authorities recently arrested more than 230 people participating in a fraudulent call center ring in Islamabad, including 170 Vietnamese.

"According to news from the Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan, the Pakistan Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pakistani national cybercrime investigation agency recently detained a number of Vietnamese citizens on suspicion of residence and labor violations," the spokesperson replied.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan has worked with local authorities to verify information, find out information about the identities of those arrested and take necessary civil protection measures for these people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Pakistan to continue to coordinate closely with local authorities, closely monitor the incident and request to ensure security and safety for Vietnamese citizens, and at the same time coordinate closely with domestic authorities to verify their identities and continue to take protection measures for these citizens.

According to AFP, Pakistani authorities earlier this week raided a facility suspected of being a "telephone fraud center" in Islamabad, arresting more than 200 foreigners, including 40 Chinese citizens, 170 Vietnamese and a number of citizens from Southeast Asian countries.

"They operated a phone fraud center in Gulberg Green, a residential area on the outskirts of Islamabad. They entered Pakistan on tourist visas and were not authorized to carry out these activities," the Pakistani official said.

A similar raid also took place in July 2025, in which 149 people, including 71 foreigners and mainly Chinese nationals, were arrested for allegedly working for a phone fraud center.