Before being beaten to death, a market management officer of Long An province threw 5 explosives and used up a can of pepper spray, but the cigarette smuggling group was still reckless.

On the afternoon of September 16, Long An Provincial Police detained four suspects for beating to death Mr. Nguyen Kim Danh (46 years old, market management officer of Team 1) for further investigation.

Mr. Danh passed away, leaving behind his nearly 80-year-old mother, his wife and two young daughters. Photo: Hoang Nam

Speaking to VnExpress, Mr. Nguyen Van Sam, Captain of Market Management Team No. 1, who directly commanded the task of catching the smuggling case, said that on the afternoon of September 15, the team received information that some people were transporting contraband cigarettes on the Cung canal, Duc Hoa district. He and 3 others, including Mr. Danh, surrounded and arrested them.

Thinking of catching a group of smugglers as usual, two people stood guard on the shore while Mr. Danh and a colleague went by boat to the river. Around midnight, Mr. Danh discovered a motorboat carrying cigarettes on the Vam Co River, Duc Hoa District, and immediately arrested them. When they brought the evidence of nearly 9,000 packs of cigarettes to the headquarters, suddenly about 8 boats appeared with more than 10 people holding weapons chasing after them.

The two market management officers sped away, but after about a kilometer, they were overtaken by the gang. One of them used a stick to hit Mr. Danh on the head, causing him to fall into the river, then stole the evidence and escaped. The victim was pulled into a boat by his teammates, but died later.

"We did not expect the smuggling group to be so reckless, mobilizing a large force to steal the drugs and attack us. The team had 3 rubber bullet guns, but they had been sent for inspection in the province before. We threw 5 explosives in a row and used up a can of pepper spray, but they were still reckless," said Mr. Sam.

On the same day, in a level 4 house in Hau Nghia town, Duc Hoa district, the Long An Provincial People's Committee and many colleagues came to pay their respects at the funeral of the market management officer. Mr. Danh passed away, leaving behind his mother, nearly 80 years old, his wife and two daughters, who are in 7th and 3rd grade.

In pain over her husband's sudden passing, Mrs. Nhan Huynh Thi Tran (46 years old) said that yesterday afternoon, when she was about to prepare dinner, Mr. Danh said he had an urgent matter to attend to at his unit. "He quickly ate a bowl of cold rice with braised fish, then wished his two children 'Happy Mid-Autumn Festival' before leaving," the wife sobbed.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Viet - Head of the Long An Market Management Department - said that Mr. Danh has been in the industry for 20 years and worked in many areas before being assigned to Team 1 at the beginning of the year.

"He has always been an active person, has made many contributions to the fight against smuggling and has been rewarded many times," Mr. Viet said, adding that he will petition the authorities to consider the meritorious service regime for Mr. Danh.

According to VNE