Five women who disguised themselves as beggars to take photos were fined VND67.5 million. — Photo dantri.com.vn

On March 31, images of the five people were posted on social media. They were dressed up as beggars, wearing conical hats, burlap sacks and honeycomb sandals. The culprits had bamboo sticks and clay pots in their hands to collect money while sat on the pavement in Hoi An.

The fake panhandlers were revealed to be five women living in Da Nang’s Hai Chau District, including Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, born in 1978; Phan Anh Hanh Trinh, 1984; Tran Thi Minh Thao, 1977; Tran Thi Hoa 1983; and Nguyen Anh Thanh Tam 1982. Phan Anh Hanh Trinh was believed to be the mastermind behind the begging plot.

According to the Hoi An City People's Committee, these five people violated Clause 3, Article 64 of the Government’s Decree No.174/2013, stipulating "administrative violations in the field of post and telecommunications, information technology and radio frequency.”

At the police office, the women said they had dressed up as beggars to take photos and post them on Facebook.

However, when the pictures were shared on social media, many people were angry, especially as the country struggles to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  VNS

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