Profiles of the 3 notorious gang leaders arrested in the biggest gambling den in Vinh City.

(Baonghean.vn) - On November 7th, Vinh City Police are still holding seven suspects in custody for questioning regarding gambling activities: Nguyen Thi Huyen, Nguyen Xuan Minh, Nguyen Tho Quyen, Dinh Xuan Hai, Le Tuan Dung, Ngo Thi Phuong, and Tran Thi Hoa. Meanwhile, seven other individuals, including Nguyen Thanh Binh, Ho Van Dung, Nguyen Van Dung, Nguyen Quoc Toan, Tran Xuan Hung, Nguyen Hong Long, and Duong Van Tuan, are being detained for investigation into "facilitating gambling."

According to police records, most of the arrested gamblers had prior criminal records and were notorious gangsters in Vinh City and surrounding areas. Prominent among these suspects was Nguyen Thanh Binh, famous in the "Thanh Vinh" underworld, known as "Binh Luc." Binh was also the owner of the three-story house where police raided and arrested the gamblers while they were engrossed in their game. Binh, 41 years old, already had four prior convictions for robbery, intentional injury, and gambling.

Binh at the investigative agency. (Photo: People's Police).

Binh was once a notorious gangster in Ho Chi Minh City, specializing in protection rackets at bus stations. After several legal troubles, he returned to Vinh City, living in a three-story house at 200 Pham Hong Thai Street, Vinh Tan Ward. With his reckless nature, Binh quickly gained the respect of many followers in the "Vinh City" underworld, who sought to join him. After gaining some notoriety in the criminal world, Binh profited through various illegal activities, including organizing gambling.

To evade law enforcement, "Binh Luc" reinforced his house with high walls and a secure gate, making it very difficult for outsiders to access without the owner's permission. Furthermore, for added security, Binh employed several henchmen to act as lookouts and intimidate neighbors who dared to voice their concerns about the gambling den. For a long time, Binh's gambling operation caused considerable frustration among residents in the neighborhood and negatively impacted public order and security in the area.

Among the suspects arrested this time was Nguyen Thi Huyen (42 years old, Doi Cung ward). Huyen is known in the "Thanh Vinh" underworld as "Huyen the Tobacco Smoker," a name synonymous with rebellious and reckless behavior. Even in school, Huyen was a notorious troublemaker, engaging in activities like extorting money from classmates, skipping classes, and forming a youth gang. Especially after marrying a prominent figure in the Vinh underworld, Huyen quickly rose to fame and became a respected gang leader.

The name Huyen "Tobacco" rose to prominence through reckless contract killings and assassinations. Huyen's chosen henchmen were young, uneducated, or homeless teenagers. She provided them with food and shelter, covered all their living expenses, including nightclub and escort services, and even offered them emotional support. Because of this, they respected her and were willing to risk their lives against anyone who dared to offend her.

To this day, the people of Vinh City are still reeling from the brawl that occurred near Vinh City Hospital not long ago. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2007, at a nightclub in Vinh City, Huyen "the tobacco seller"'s gang clashed with Thang "the wall seller"'s gang.

Huyen "the tobacco seller" was also one of the gangsters arrested at the gambling den.

After a heated argument, one of Huyen's henchmen unexpectedly used pepper spray directly on Nguyen Van Hiep (Hiep "the bald," residing in Thanh Tri, Hanoi), a subordinate of Thang, causing him to be hospitalized. That was all that was needed; both groups then engaged in a chaotic fight with knives and swords. Afterward, Huyen "the tobacco seller" personally took Hiep to the hospital to have his wounds treated.

However, while Huyen was still standing in the hospital grounds, Hiep's accomplices, led by Thang "Tuong," arrived with about a dozen henchmen carrying numerous knives and swords. Knowing that another confrontation was imminent, Huyen called her subordinates for backup. Ten minutes later, dozens of Huyen's henchmen arrived on motorcycles, armed with knives, swords, and metal pipes, ready to fight Thang's group.

At the end of the brawl, Thang "Tuong" had tendons severed in both hands. Many of Thang's henchmen were seriously injured. Huyen's group discarded their weapons in the hospital yard and fled. Huyen "Thuoc Lao" later received a prison sentence, but her gang continued to operate under the leadership of Huyen's son. After two prison sentences for intentional injury and gambling, it seemed as though Huyen would repent, but this "female gangster" returned to the criminal underworld, sinking deeper into illegal activities.

Besides Huyen "the tobacco seller" and Nguyen Thanh Binh, the suspects also include Le Tuan Dung (34 years old, also known as Dung "Hau", Hung Binh ward, Vinh City), also a notorious gangster in the "Thanh Vinh" underworld. Dung has many followers and is famous for his cold-blooded purges.

The three-story house where the gambling den was raided.

Earlier, on the afternoon of November 5th, more than 40 plainclothes criminal police officers from Vinh City Police Department staked out Nguyen Thanh Binh's three-story house for several hours. Around 5 PM, after confirming that gamblers were gambling inside Binh's "fortress," the detectives immediately neutralized the lookouts guarding the front door and launched a three-pronged raid. Prong 1 attacked through the front door, prong 2 climbed a ladder to the second floor, and prong 3 used a fire escape to access the third floor of the house.

During the arrest, Vinh City Police seized 540 million VND and 10 decks of used playing cards from the gambling table. When apprehended, the suspects attempted to flee, discarding the money and cards behind Nguyen Thanh Binh's house, but failed. The task force subsequently recovered an additional 300 million VND and 5 unused decks of cards. A search of Binh's house yielded another 500 million VND. In addition to the 1.34 billion VND seized in the case, police also confiscated 4 cars and 2 motorcycles.

While police were conducting the search, a large number of gangsters gathered outside the house, attempting to exert pressure. In response, the Provincial Police had to deploy 113 emergency response units, riot police, and traffic police to provide support, ensure security and order, regulate traffic, and escort the suspects and evidence to the Vinh City Police headquarters. According to the police, this is the largest gambling operation ever busted in Vinh City.

The case is still under investigation.

TH