The Vietnam Immigration Department has suspended an immigration officer at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi as the officer was accused of asking for a tip from a Singaporean passenger, a departmental leader said on Thursday.

The department also worked with relevant units and the Singaporean traveler, who had shared the case on his Facebook account.

After receiving the news from the police at the airport, the department required its subordinates to initiate an investigation into the case and impose strict sanctions on the immigration officer if the information is true. 

In particular, Kugan Pillai on Monday wrote on his Facebook account that he was demanded a tip by a Vietnamese immigration officer.

He wrote, “I was at Hanoi’s airport immigration departing to Singapore today when this immigration officer wrote ‘tips’ on my air ticket. He was holding my passport and asking for it. I asked him for what but he just kept pointing to what he wrote. 

“I didn’t know what to do or whom to ask for help and I was also rushing for my flight. I gave in to him in the end by giving 500000 dong [US$21.4]. I have already informed Singapore’s MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] about it. 

“I know this may be normal in other countries but I feel that I was held hostage if I didn’t give the money, I wouldn’t get my passport chopped.”

He ended his post by tagging the Facebook accounts with a blue verified badge of the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Singaporean Embassy in Hanoi, and the Singaporean Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

After two days, his post has been shared 8,200 times and attracted more than 15,000 reactions.

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