Police investigators from Da Nang’s Thanh Khe District Department of Police recently temporarily detained and prosecuted 7 offenders for ‘arresting people unlawfully to appropriate property’ and for ‘not denouncing crime’. 

Chairman Tho (third left) with Thanh Khe District police officials

The offenders were 32-year-old Truong Quang Vinh from Thanh Khe District, 24-year-old Ho Van Nha from Thua Thien-Hue Province, 26-year-old Le Duy Khanh from Dak Lak, and 24-year-old Lam Manh Cam, 22-year-old Nguyen Huu Hoang, Ngo Duy Khuong and Nguyen Huu Loi, all from Gia Lai Province.  Another man, Hoang Duc Phuc from Thua Thien-Hue Province, has fled the city.

According to the case file, at 5pm on 27 July Truong Quang Vinh asked an unidentified man from Thanh Khe District’s Xuan Ha Ward to visit his home to install an advertising board.  As the installer went up to the 2^nd floor, he was severely beaten up by a large group of people.  Le Duy Khanh threatened the victim with an electric rod and forced him to write off a debt letter of 188 million VND.

Next the victim was taken to Thua Thien-Hue Province where he was forced to phone his wife to get her to hand over 90 million VND to representatives from Vinh’s group.  The group then demanded that he pay the remaining 98 million VND within 3 days.

On 1 August, Ho Van Nha was caught red-handed by the Thanh Khe District police as he visited the kidnapped victim’s home to collect the money.  Evidence at the scene included 98 million VND in cash, a car, an electric rod, a pepper spray, and many cell phones.

Last Sunday, the Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman, Mr Huynh Duc Tho, visited the Thanh Khe District Department of Police.  He presented 20 million VND from the city’s budget as bonuses to the police officers in the district who had successfully arrested the gang.

Chairman Tho highly praised the police officers for their great efforts and their active involvement in investigating this serious case.  He asked the district’s police officers to promptly complete their case files and bring the case to a public trial as soon as possible, to step up their fight against crimes in the community, and to ensure order and security in the city.