Seven people involved in an international marriage scam stood trial in Yancheng City in Jiangsu Province last week.

The seven, two Chinese men and five Vietnamese women, allegedly cheated more than 200,000 yuan (US$24,390) from Chinese men who were seeking a wife.

The gang involved more than 10 other Vietnamese women who were still at large. The case had attracted the attention of the Ministry of the Public Security and was listed as the No.1 case in Jiangsu.

The Vietnamese women, who were smuggled into China after June 2002, cheated 213,600 yuan from residents in East China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to Nov. 2003, the court heard.

In June 2003, Lu Lianhui, a Guangxi resident, introduced one of the women to a man in Yancheng City, who paid 9,000 yuan to marry her. In September, the woman, identified by her Chinese name Shi Xiaohong, put poison in the family's dinner and tried to flee. No one was injured and she was caught by police, the court heard.

In April 2003, Lu introduced two Vietnamese women to two farmers in Yancheng City, and together they cheated the farmers of 23,000 yuan, the court heard.

He Xuekui, a Zhejiang resident, was also involved in the scam.

The seven are yet to be sentenced.  

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2005)