The bizarre tactics of a debt collection gang.

Hired to collect debts, these individuals threw foul substances at people's homes, urinated, vandalized gates, and beat debtors or their relatives... As a result, the gang was prosecuted and arrested by the police for extortion.

Recently, the police in Thai Nguyen City, Thai Nguyen Province, received reports from citizens about several individuals throwing foul substances at their homes, including a mixture of waste, shrimp paste, paint, etc., and also threatening and urinating in front of people's houses to demand debt repayment. The police have launched an investigation to verify the information.

Through investigative measures, at approximately 8 PM on July 14th, a task force from the Criminal Police Team of Thai Nguyen City Police discovered a group of individuals suspected of engaging in debt collection and usurious lending at the Nguyen Oanh pawn shop, located at Group 3, Cam Gia Ward, Thai Nguyen City. The shop was led by Do Van Nguyen (42 years old), commonly known as Nguyen Oanh, residing at Group 3, Cam Gia Ward.

Thai Nguyen City police read out arrest warrants for 5 suspects.

The remaining suspects include: Nguyen Hoai Nam (28 years old), residing in Group 13, Phu Xa Ward; Hoang Quoc Quan (33 years old), Nguyen Cuong Anh (32 years old), both residing in Group 3, Cam Gia Ward; Nguyen Khac Quang (32 years old), residing in Group 10, Phu Xa Ward, Thai Nguyen City; and Phi Dang Nghiep (22 years old), residing in Phong Xa Hamlet, Huong Thuong Commune, Dong Hy District, Thai Nguyen Province...

Through questioning, the suspects confessed to committing eight debt collection acts for pawnshop owner Do Van Nguyen. During a search of the pawnshop, the Criminal Investigation Department of Thai Nguyen City Police seized a car, two motorbikes, several knives and swords, a can of spray paint, shrimp paste, waste lubricating oil, gloves, plastic containers, etc. – items the suspects used to throw at people's houses to threaten and demand debt repayment.

Reportedly, this debt collection gang was provided with food and lodging at the pawn shop by Do Van Nguyen, who paid them an average of 300,000 VND per person per day. However, on rainy days or when they collected a lot of debts, the amount they received could reach 450,000 VND per person per day. Nguyen also assigned a detailed debt collection schedule to each person, much like a government official's work schedule. Each time they went to collect debts, the gang members not only threw waste and urinated in public but also threatened and beat the debtors or their relatives.

Schedule of debt collection assignments for different parties.

For example, the case of Mr. NTC (35 years old), residing in Tan Lap ward, Thai Nguyen city, who borrowed money from Nguyen through a loan sharking scheme and repaid a portion, but the rest remains unpaid, and he has absconded. According to Mr. C's family, the amount was 5.2 million VND, while the perpetrators claimed it was 12 million VND. Nguyen hired Nghiep to collect the debt. Initially, Mr. C paid in full, but by the end of June, Nghiep went to Mr. C's house and found no one there. On June 30th, Nghiep and Quang went to Mr. C's house to demand payment again, but only met Mr. C's parents. The two threatened that if the money wasn't paid by that evening, they would "beat him to death" the next day.

After several days of failing to collect the money from Mr. C, at around 8:00 AM on July 3rd, Nguyen instructed his group and an individual named Hung to go to Mr. C's house to demand payment. Seven people arrived on two motorcycles and in a car, carrying a can of paint and a lock, intending to spray paint on belongings and lock the house door to intimidate the family if the money wasn't collected. Upon entering the house and encountering Mrs. S, Mr. C's mother, Nguyen forced her to pay the money on behalf of her son within three days.

Ms. S said that because time was short and she couldn't borrow money, the group of perpetrators took votive paper offerings and set them on fire to threaten to "burn them," while also cursing and beating her. Even when Mr. C's father ran out to intervene, the group chased him away, then continued to threaten Ms. S and threw a plastic sandal at her left eye. The group then went outside, locked the gate of Ms. S's house, and used paint to write and draw graffiti on the wall at the gate; they continued to threaten to beat Ms. S to death if she went outside…

Terrified by the threats from the group, Mrs. S. had to borrow money from everywhere to pay on behalf of her son, fearing that the debt collectors would return to beat, humiliate her family, or assault her son. Meanwhile, her husband had asked someone to report the incident to the police, so even though they had agreed to pay, the debt collectors, seeing a large crowd outside Mrs. S.'s house and suspecting the police were involved, did not dare approach to collect the money.

Upon receiving the report, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Thai Nguyen City Police dispatched officers to receive the crime report and establish a file to investigate and verify the incident in accordance with the law.

During the crime scene investigation, the police collected evidence left behind by the suspects, such as burnt votive paper, keys, graffiti, and drawings on the gate wall, as well as statements from the victim and bruises around Ms. S's left eye. The Thai Nguyen City Police summoned five suspects, including Hoang Quoc Quan, Nguyen Luong Anh, Nguyen Khac Quang, Nguyen Hoai Nam, and Phi Dang Nghiep, for questioning, and they confessed to the incident as described above.

On July 21st, the Investigation Police Department of Thai Nguyen City issued a decision to initiate a criminal case, indict and temporarily detain five individuals for the crime of extortion. On the same day, the People's Procuratorate of Thai Nguyen City approved the indictment and temporary detention order for the five individuals. Currently, this group is being held in temporary detention at the Thai Nguyen Provincial Police Department; meanwhile, the Thai Nguyen City Police are continuing to consolidate the case file and process the remaining suspects.

Evidence seized in the case.

According to the People's Police Newspaper