Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the handling of the high-profile case in which 152 Vietnamese tourists have gone missing in Taiwan - PHOTO: VGP

HCMC – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc today, December 27, ordered the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to investigate the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese tourists in Taiwan and impose strict penalties on those involved in the case, the Government news website reported.

At the Government's regular meeting, Phuc told the ministry to report the results of the investigation within seven days.

An official of the ministry reported the case to the prime minister, stating that the ministry had coordinated with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the governments of HCMC and Hanoi to inspect travel firms implicated in the case.

The ministry has also worked with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam over the case. It has proposed the office ensure the unimpeded travel of Vietnamese visitors in the coming period.

In addition, it has asked travel companies arranging tours to Taiwan for Vietnamese tourists to review their customers’ visa applications and has proposed the Ministry of Public Security investigate the case to determine whether Vietnamese people are illegally being transported abroad.