Vietnam court jails 4 for arranging migrant voyage to Australia

HANOI, Vietnam – A Vietnamese court has sentenced four men to up four years in prison for arranging two illegal sea voyages to Australia for migrants.

Judge Ta Quoc Viet says the court found the men guilty Tuesday of arranging for 33 people to leave by boat in May 2012.

Later that month, the court found, the gang organized another trip for 28 people but its members were arrested before the journey.

It was not possible to contact lawyers for the men.

Australia is a popular destination for economic migrants and asylum seekers, especially those from unstable South Asian and Middle Eastern nations. Thousands take to the seas each year.

This year more than 460 Vietnamese have arrived in Australian waters, a significant spike.

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