72-hour journey to capture 2 escaped prisoners
After 72 hours of escaping from detention, two extremely dangerous prisoners serving sentences at Xuan Ha Prison were arrested while hiding in the deep forest.
The incident occurred at around 3:00 p.m. on December 6. Taking advantage of a loophole in the production process, two prisoners Phan Cong Thanh (born in 1987), residing in Thach Chau commune, Loc Ha district (Ha Tinh) and Nguyen Dac Hoang (born in 1984), residing in Cam Nhuong commune, Cam Xuyen district (Ha Tinh) escaped from Sub-camp No. 2, Xuan Ha Prison (Department of Police for Management of Prisons, Compulsory Education Facilities, and Reformatory Schools - Ministry of Public Security) located in Cam Son commune, Cam Xuyen (Ha Tinh).
Two prisoners Phan Cong Thanh and Nguyen Dac Hoang escaped from Xuan Ha Prison on the afternoon of December 6.
Lieutenant Colonel Cao Ngoc Dien - Warden of Xuan Ha Prison said: Immediately after discovering 2 prisoners escaped from the prison, the Board of Warden of Xuan Ha Prison informed the authorities and the people to be on guard and coordinate in the capture. At the same time, the force was organized to carry out professional measures with the goal of quickly capturing the prisoners.
Xuan Ha Prison coordinated with professional forces of Ha Tinh Provincial Police and Cam Xuyen District Police to synchronously deploy measures, isolate and close the area to capture the subject.
Ha Tinh police mobilized more than 2,000 officers and soldiers to coordinate with the Department of Police for Management of Prisons, Compulsory Education Facilities, and Reform Schools - Ministry of Public Security and Xuan Ha Prison to actively search for the subjects for 72 hours.
To quickly track down the suspects, as well as prevent and avoid bad situations that may occur when the suspects are hiding in society, from 1:30 p.m. on December 7, Ha Tinh Police decided to mobilize more than 2,000 officers and soldiers including professional units, Criminal Police, Traffic Police, Investigation Police, Local Police and Commune Police, to deploy professional measures to search.
Along with that, at important routes, the police force has also deployed troops to block and check all vehicles passing through the districts of Cam Xuyen, Ky Anh, Ha Tinh City, Thach Ha, Can Loc and neighboring areas to ensure that the subjects do not escape from the area.
Authorities also mobilized sniffer dogs to help track the case.
On the afternoon of December 7, after Senior Lieutenant Colonel Cao Ngoc Dien, Warden of Xuan Ha Prison, signed a nationwide wanted notice for Phan Cong Thanh and Nguyen Dac Hoang, the police of districts, cities, towns as well as the communal police force across the province distributed and posted leaflets with information about the two prisoners on markets, kiosks, electric poles, fences... to keep people alert and denounce them.
In Dong Tay Xuan village, Cam Ha commune - where the mangrove forest area stretches over a large area, on the evening of December 7, the forces were on duty all night, monitoring the changes. At motels, inns, and hotels in the province, the local police were also ordered to check the situation and the residents. The traffic police, mobile police, and working groups 256 and 238 increased their night-time checks on traffic routes to search for information related to the subject.
Police went to every alley, knocked on every door and set up hundreds of checkpoints at important traffic routes to capture two suspects who escaped from detention.
During the arrest process, the authorities used a combination of professional measures, combined with information from the masses. The arresting force determined that these two subjects had not left Cam Xuyen district but could be hiding in the areas of Cam Ha and Cam Lac communes... so they zoned off the area and mobilized all forces to arrest the subjects.
With the motto that all law violators must be strictly handled, and that prisoners who have escaped from prison must not continue to violate the law, over the past three days, together with the forces of the Police Department managing prisons, compulsory education facilities, reform schools, and Xuan Ha Prison (Ministry of Public Security), Ha Tinh Provincial Police have mobilized forces and made efforts to capture criminals.
Police in districts, cities, towns as well as communal police forces across the province have distributed and posted leaflets with information about the two escaped prisoners.
Lieutenant Colonel Thai Doan Ngoc - Deputy Warden of Xuan Ha Prison added: Assessing that the subjects had not left the area, Xuan Ha Prison forces coordinated with professional units of the Provincial Police and Cam Xuyen District Police to deploy capture plans. After a period of searching without results, the forces divided into 3 attack groups on the mountains in the areas of Cam Lac and Cam Son communes (Cam Xuyen district).
At around 4pm on December 8, the task force searched and discovered traces and suspicions related to the two escaped prisoners. The task force withdrew two attack groups and organized ambushes at eight checkpoints in Cam Lac and Cam Minh communes.
At about 1:45 a.m. on December 9, two prisoners were discovered and arrested while hiding in a deep forest area in Cam Lac commune, Cam Xuyen district (Ha Tinh).
Early the same morning, upon receiving information that two prisoners were hiding in a mountainous area near the Song Rac spillway, in Cam Lac commune, Cam Xuyen district, the police and criminal police quickly organized a siege and arrest.
At 1:45 a.m. on December 9, the working group led by Lieutenant Colonel Thai Doan Ngoc, along with Captain Nguyen Thong Nhat and Captain Nguyen Van Nam, discovered two subjects in Cam Lac commune, so they fired warning shots and arrested two prisoners, Phan Cong Thanh and Nguyen Dac Hoang, ensuring their safety. At the time of arrest, the subjects showed signs of hunger and fatigue.
Prisoner Phan Cong Thanh is serving two prison sentences from the People's Court of Ha Tinh province and the People's Court of Pho Yen city, Thai Nguyen province, both for fraud and appropriation of property, with a total sentence of 19 years in prison. At the time of his escape, prisoner Phan Cong Thanh had served 2 years, 7 months and 12 days in prison.
Prisoner Nguyen Dac Hoang is serving a 20-year prison sentence for illegal drug trafficking under Judgment No. 117, dated November 10, 2017, of the People's Court of Nghe An Province. At the time of his escape, prisoner Nguyen Dac Hoang had served 6 years, 6 months, and 7 days.
Colonel Nguyen Hong Phong - Director of Ha Tinh Provincial Police said: The process of successfully arresting two dangerous wanted subjects while ensuring safety, in addition to the combined strength of the forces, regardless of the difficulties and hardships of officers and soldiers, is the joint efforts and consensus of the people in coordinating, providing information, and supporting the forces during the arrest process.
The working groups analyzed and assessed the subjects correctly, deployed forces quickly and enthusiastically, and took advantage of the golden time to arrest the subjects, ensuring security and order, and keeping a peaceful and happy life for the people.
