Many of the illegal immigrants admitted they had been aided and abetted by Vietnamese nationals to enter the country through the northern border.

They had then took buses to travel to HCM City for employment or seek to enter Cambodia for jobs.

The HCM City police said that these foreign citizens had violated the law and posed a high risk of spreading epidemics in the community.

The local administration recently raised the COVID-19 alert to the highest level due to different sources of infection, including illegal immigrants.

The city has tightened patrol to early detect and prevent any acts of illegal entry. It has vowed to strictly deal with any individuals or groups that harbor such acts.