Authorities arrest group extorting protection money from farmers for combine harvesters.
A group of individuals, armed with guns, threatened and assaulted farmers harvesting rice in their own fields, demanding protection money from them.
On the morning of June 2nd, Major Vo Chau Tuan, Deputy Head of the Ky Anh District Police in Ha Tinh province, announced that the investigating agency had issued a decision to initiate criminal proceedings and indict four individuals for "Extortion" under Article 135 of the Penal Code.
 |
| Four individuals were arrested by the investigating authorities. |
According to investigative documents, at approximately 4:30 PM on May 30th, Pham Quang Minh, 36 years old, residing in Hung Thinh neighborhood, along with Pham Ngoc Trung, 25 years old, residing in Ward 1, Song Tri Ward, Ky Anh Town, and Nguyen Tien Dung, 25 years old; and Ho Cong Huy, 27 years old, residing in Bac Son village, Ky Tho commune, Ky Anh district, went to the rice fields in Ky Tho and Ky Khang communes with the intention of threatening and intimidating rice threshing machine owners to extort money.
 |
| Investigators read the search warrant to Pham Quang Minh's house. |
Here, Minh instructed Trung and Dung to stop the harvesting machines operating in Hoang Du village, Ky Khang commune. Following Minh's instructions, Trung and Dung went to the Ruong Nay area in Hoang Du village, Ky Khang commune, Ky Anh district, and threatened Mai Van Duc, 39 years old, residing in Quang Ich village, Ky Khang commune, demanding that he stop his rice harvesting machine. If he wanted to continue harvesting, he had to give Minh's group 1 million dong.
Finding it unreasonable, some residents protested, with Nguyen Minh Chau, 43 years old, residing in Hoang Du village, Ky Khang commune, being the most vehement opponent.
In a fit of rage, Trung used a hoe to strike Chau, injuring him in the right arm. Meanwhile, Minh, brandishing a gun and looking furious, forced Mai Van Duc to swallow his pride and give Minh money so he could continue harvesting the rice.
 |
| Investigators seized Minh's sporting rifle, which was hidden under the chicken coop. |
Based on the documents and evidence collected, the Criminal Investigation Department of Ky Anh District Police has decided to initiate a criminal case and prosecute Pham Quang Minh, Pham Ngoc Trung, Nguyen Tien Dung, and Ho Cong Huy for the crime of "Extortion" under Article 135 of the Penal Code. The case file is being completed to process the suspects according to the law.
To definitively resolve the issue of "extortion of combine harvesters" in Ky Anh district in particular, and the entire province in general, we believe that when people and combine harvester owners encounter similar phenomena, they should immediately report it and cooperate with the police force to promptly investigate, arrest, and severely punish those responsible.
According to the People's Police Newspaper
