Nghe An police dismantle loan sharking ring worth nearly 20 billion VND.
(Baonghean.vn) - A loan sharking ring involving nearly 20 billion VND in civil transactions, led by an individual with two previous convictions, has been dismantled by the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police in coordination with relevant units.
The gambling ring was led by Le Thi Thanh Hai (born in 1973, residing in Anh Son town, Anh Son district). Hai is a repeat offender with two previous convictions for gambling.
Besides Hai, the police also arrested three other individuals in the ring, including two residents of Vinh City: Nguyen Thi An (born in 1964, residing in Vinh Tan ward) and Nguy Khac Manh (born in 1992, residing in Ben Thuy ward); and one resident of Dien Xuan commune, Dien Chau district: Nguyen Van Khuong (born in 1981).
Previously, through intelligence gathering, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police discovered a network with many individuals suspected of engaging in usurious lending practices in civil transactions using the "loan sharking" method in the area. To borrow money from this group, borrowers had to leave personal identification documents such as: Citizen ID cards, driver's licenses, etc.
When borrowers were late in repaying their loans, Hai and the other members of the network insulted and threatened them, even sending people to follow them to pressure them when they went for medical checkups. Many people lost everything after falling into the "loan shark" trap set by this group.
Recognizing the seriousness of the case, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police reported to the provincial police leadership to establish a special task force to investigate.
Following a coordinated effort involving various investigative measures, from December 25th to 31st, 2023, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police, in collaboration with Anh Son District Police, successfully cracked a case, arresting four individuals for usurious lending in civil transactions. The seized evidence included five mobile phones, four computers, eight bank cards, and numerous related books and documents.
Notably, during the investigation, the ringleader, Le Thi Thanh Hai, was very cunning and devious, employing various tactics to evade the police. During her arrest and investigation, she was uncooperative, refusing to confess to her crimes or cooperate with the investigating authorities. However, driven by a determination to fight crime to the end, and faced with the evidence gathered, Le Thi Thanh Hai eventually confessed.
With interest rates ranging from 108% to over 2,400% per year when lending money to victims, the police initially determined that from May 2023 until their arrest, the four suspects had lent money to many people in Nghe An province totaling nearly 20 billion VND. The total amount of illicit profit the suspects earned exceeded 2 billion VND.
Currently, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police is holding the suspects in custody and expanding the investigation into the case.
