Handing over 3 lost children in Nghe An to their families

The three children include Nguyen Cong Thao - 14 years old, son of Nguyen Cong Quy and Bui Thi Thuy, residing in hamlet 7, and two siblings: Nguyen Van Luong - 10 years old, Nguyen Van Thien - 7 years old, son of Nguyen Van Ban and Truong Thi Hien, residing in hamlet 2, Phuc Son commune (Anh Son district).

The children were taken to the Dien Ky Commune Police Station (Dien Chau). Photo: Van Anh

According to the children, on the morning of July 16, they asked to go to their grandparents' house to play. Thao was riding her bike and met Luong and Thien so she took them both with her.

While on the road, the three children met a strange man driving a black pickup truck who asked them to get in the car and take them to their destination. Thao showed them the way and said, “You just keep going,” but the man did not go, but stood there muttering something. After a while, the three children did not know anything anymore. When they woke up, they found themselves sitting in a car and did not know where they were going.

Bicycles are the means of transportation for the children to continue moving to Dien Chau district. Photo: Van Anh

When the suspect stopped to use the restroom, Thao saw a sign for Yen Thanh, Dien Chau and invited her two younger siblings to run away with her. The suspect chased them but could not catch them, so he threw their bicycles on the side of the road (the bicycles had been put in the back of a pickup truck). After waiting a long time for the suspect to leave, the three children returned to get their bicycles and wandered off to Dien Chau district.

On the afternoon of July 16, after discovering their children were missing, the children's families reported the matter to Anh Son District Police.

Dien Chau district police, Dien Ky commune and other departments completed procedures to hand over the children to their families. Photo: Van Anh

At 4am on July 17, the Dien Ky Commune Police Department (Dien Chau) received a report from people exercising and saw 3 children who were not local lying in a garage on the side of the road. When they arrived at the scene, the police held the younger child, while the two older children ran away out of fear. However, after being explained, the children returned and were taken to the commune police headquarters for care.

Immediately afterwards, the Dien Ky Commune Police Department coordinated with Dien Chau District Police, Anh Son District Police, the Department of Culture, and the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of the district to find the family.

At 9 o'clock the same day, the family of the three children went to Dien Chau district to complete the procedures to receive their children back.