The Criminal Investigation Department (C02) of the Ministry of Public Security announced Saturday that it had initiated a case and detained Ngo Phi Long, 31; Nguyen Hoang Long, 36; Nguyen Van Tuan, 36; Le Van Chung, 28; and Nguyen Van Phuong on charges of murder, robbery, and illegal detention. Additionally, Nguyen Manh Hai, 34, and Tran Ngoc Binh were arrested for robbery and illegal detention.
The suspects, from Hanoi, currently reside in Binh Duong Province and other southern areas.
On Dec. 2, 2024, authorities in Cambodia’s Svay Rieng Province discovered the body of Hoan, a 42-year-old Hanoi native, in a river. His hands and feet were bound, and his death was linked to a Vietnamese gang involved in high-interest loans for gamblers in Cambodian casinos.
Investigators found that the gang, led by Long, lent money to Vietnamese gamblers, trapping them in debt and threatening them or their families with torture or death if repayments were not made.
The gang’s operations
In April 2023, Long established an illegal credit operation in Cambodian casinos, lending VND50 million (US$1,973) to VND200 million for three-day terms with a 10% upfront fee.
The group monitored borrowers closely, forcing them to gamble at specific locations and taking 15% of winnings.
When gamblers lost all their money, they were detained, threatened, and coerced into calling their families for repayment.
Ngo Phi Long when being arrested. Photo courtesy of the police |
The victim’s ordeal
On Nov. 29, 2024, Hoan and his wife traveled to a casino near Vietnam’s Long An Province in Cambodia. After losing all their money, Hoan borrowed VND100 million from the gang and was taken to another casino, where he incurred an additional VND200 million debt.
Detained in a rented room managed by a Chinese accomplice, Hoan was forced to call his wife and relatives to demand repayment, while the gang issued threats.
When Hoan attempted to escape on Dec. 1 but was later captured by guards in the area.
This resulted in a find of US$5,000 for Long’s group for causing a disturbance. Those managing the area also banned his group from keeping Hoan in detention.
Long decided to hand Hoan over to Nguyen Manh Hai’s group for further extortion.
While being transported, Hoan struggled and screamed. The gang beat him, gagged him, bound his hands and feet, and Long personally stabbed him multiple times, leaving the car soaked in blood. Hoan died shortly afterward.
Long and his accomplices drove Hoan’s body to the Thomo border gate and dumped it into a river in Bavet City, Svay Rieng Province. They discarded the blood-soaked blanket and the murder weapon along the roadside.
By early Dec. 2, Long’s group fled to Binh Duong, where Long ordered them to delete their Telegram group, turn off their phones, and provided money for their escape.
The victim’s wife reported the case to authorities on Dec. 25, leading to the gang’s arrests.
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