Fugitive arrested after more than 20 years on the run in Laos.
After more than 20 years of hiding in Laos and changing his name, Tho Cha Xia – a wanted suspect for "illegally trafficking narcotics" – has been arrested by the Nghe An Provincial Police.
The Drug Crime Investigation Police Department and the Thong Thu Commune Police, in coordination with the Economic Police Department (Nghe An Provincial Police) and the Hua Phan Provincial Police (Laos), have arrested Tho Cha Xia (born in 1972), residing in Tri Le Commune, Nghe An Province.
According to the investigation records, Tho Cha Xia was the ringleader of a transnational drug trafficking and transportation ring with a total quantity of over 60 kg of narcotics. The Nghe An Provincial Police Investigation Agency issued Wanted Notice No. 24 on May 17, 2004, for the crime of "Illegal trafficking of narcotics".
While on the run in Laos, the suspect changed his name, cut off contact with relatives, and lived a nomadic life.
After a period of persistent investigation and verification, the Nghe An Provincial Police, in coordination with the Hua Phan Provincial Police (Laos), successfully arrested Tho Cha Xia.
The suspect has now been extradited to Vietnam for legal processing.
