Gun dealer posing as a student

Three times the scouts set up a net but could not remove it because Hoang was cunning. The suitcase only contained clothes and no guns.

“At least three times, Hoang made an appointment to make a deal, brought a suitcase out to the street, but the suitcase did not contain a gun. The brothers had to determine the exact time this young man delivered the goods before officially capturing the net. If they missed just one time, the line would break and the whole forest would be shaken...” Captain Nguyen The Tien (Southern Special Criminal Team, Ho Chi Minh City Police Department), who directly commanded the capture of Bui Duc Hoang, the gun dealer, recounted.

Hoang when arrested

After two months of tracking and stalking, the suspect was caught by the police.

Hundreds of guns for sale

“Through confidential information, we discovered a network specializing in illegally buying, selling and supplying handguns nationwide. But who this person is, what he looks like, we don’t know. This person uses many phone numbers, has not revealed any pictures, and his whereabouts are even more undetermined. For those who trade in weapons, one mistake can get you shot,” the detective recounted.

Using professional measures, the police forced the ring leader to reveal himself. The detectives were surprised to see the suspect's face was very bright, approachable, and looked very honest...

The detectives were even more surprised when Hoang, at only 23 years old, emerged in the underworld of the North. He had no criminal record, but thanks to his willingness to spend money and his ability to play, Hoang was able to connect with gun dealers in Lang Son.

Hoang went directly from Tay Ninh to Lang Son to meet with gun dealers, brought them back to Hanoi, gathered at an internet cafe and then sold hundreds of guns to this "market".

Seeing that the gun trade was going well, Hoang expanded the "market" in Ho Chi Minh City and fell into the sights of the Southern Criminal Special Task Force.

Pretending to be a student, carrying a suitcase of guns all over Saigon

In Ho Chi Minh City, Hoang directly transacted the gun trade. To deceive the police, Hoang used a broken-down Wave motorbike with a provincial license plate, with a suitcase standing upright in front and a suitcase tied tightly with rope behind, pretending to be a student cleaning a boarding house when delivering the goods.

Some of the exhibits the police seized from Bui Duc Hoang

Many times, the special reconnaissance team in the South decided to spread the net but then withdrew it to wait for the right opportunity. “Hoang is young but very cunning and careful. At least three times, Hoang made an appointment to make a transaction or deliver goods, but the suitcase was only full of clothes, and one time the suitcase was empty... If the reconnaissance team missed the target even once, it would definitely raise the alarm. Therefore, for nearly two months, the team continuously followed this person's whereabouts,” said Captain Tien.

After a great effort in setting the net, on the morning of November 16, receiving news that Hoang would deliver the goods in the afternoon of the same day, Captain Tien directly commanded nine scouts to go into action.

“Hoang was more or less likely to have some kind of hot item on him, so we calculated many options to ensure the safety of the people and the detectives. We also discussed the possibility that the suspect would escape and set up a checkpoint... After considering all possibilities, when Hoang was carrying the suitcase to a deserted road, two detectives stopped the car and captured him without giving him time to react,” Captain Tien said.

Arrested, Hoang evaded: I had just come to Saigon from the Central region by train, I did not know the suitcase contained a gun. When the detective read Hoang's home address in Tay Ninh and his lodging in Thanh Loc ward, district 12 and asked, "Are you going to confess now or continue beating around the bush?", Hoang remained silent and began to declare his professional gun trading.

Through on-site inspection of Hoang's rented room in District 12, the task force seized 14 pellet guns, 20 ammunition boxes, 3,600 bullets, and dozens of gas cylinders.

"The guns use ball bearings and CO2 gas cylinders for fuel, are made in China, and have a very high lethality rate. If this type of gun is sold on the market and falls into the hands of criminals, it will be extremely dangerous," said Captain Tien.

According to PLO