Arrest of a gang collecting protection money for Tet flowers in Vinh city

Vinh City Police have just successfully broken up a case, eliminated a criminal gang that committed property extortion, and arrested two subjects residing in Vinh City, including: Le Viet Dung (born in 1970), residing in Hamlet 11, Nghi Phu Commune; Nguyen Van Manh (born in 1991), residing in Hamlet 12, Nghi Phu Commune and one subject residing in Hamlet 2, Nghi Phong Commune (Nghi Loc).

Previously, through the work of grasping the situation, the criminal detectives of Vinh City Police grasped information that many households selling ornamental plants on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2021 in the area of ​​72m road in hamlet 18, hamlet 19, Nghi Phu commune (Vinh city) were threatened and had money taken by some subjects.underwritefor business and trade.

The subjects in the protection racket were arrested. Photo: Duc Vu

Specifically: Mr. Tran Van T., residing in Nghi An commune (Vinh city) is doing business and selling peach, kumquat, and grapefruit trees in the 72m road area. He was harassed and threatened by the subjects and had to pay 10 million VND in protection money to the subjects. Mr. T. said, "We have only been operating for more than 2 weeks now, and have not sold many ornamental plants. We have lost the protection money, so we are very upset, but the subjects continuously harass and threaten us, so we have to pay to be able to do business in peace."

In the same situation as Mr. T., many ornamental plant businesses near Tet on the 72m road in Nghi Phu commune were also charged protection money by these subjects.

Faced with that situation, under the direction of the Director and Deputy Director of the Provincial Police, Vinh City Police established a special project to promptly arrest the above group of subjects. On January 28, 2021, Vinh City Police arrested 3 subjects Le Viet Dung, Nguyen Van Manh and Pham Van Tu for the act of extortion of property, confiscating 11 million VND and many related exhibits.

The 72m road area (Vinh city) where ornamental plant businesses near Tet are being charged protection money by criminals. Photo: Duc Vu

During the investigation, the police clarified that the above subjects required each household selling ornamental plants in the 72m road area to pay them from 1 to 2 million VND/m.²trading, otherwise the bonsai will be towed to another place. With such tricks, the subjects collected from many business households from 10 to 20 million VND each, appropriating tens of millions of VND.

This extortion gang was led by Le Viet Dung, who had 4 previous convictions for criminal and drug crimes; and Nguyen Van Manh had 2 previous convictions and had just been released from prison for "Illegal possession of weapons". During the crime, Dung and the other 2 subjects directly collected protection money.

Currently, Vinh City Police are detaining the suspects and continuing to investigate and expand the case./.