Criminal prosecution for spreading false news about mass fish deaths

After investigating and determining that the information about “fish, jellyfish, and clams dying abnormally for many days” at Con Vanh, posted on Thaibinhplus.vn, was untrue, on May 13, Thai Binh Provincial Police initiated a criminal case related to the above incident.

In early May 2016, the website Thaibinhplus.vn posted the following information: “The phenomenon of fish, jellyfish, and clams dying abnormally for many days has spread widely on Con Vanh beach while the authorities have yet to find the cause.” After the investigation, the investigating agency determined that this information was false, causing public confusion.

On May 13, the Investigation Security Agency of Thai Binh Provincial Police issued Decision No. 02 to prosecute the criminal case: "Crime of illegally providing or using information on computer networks, telecommunications networks, and the Internet" under Article 226 of the Penal Code and continue to investigate and clarify the case according to the provisions of law.

Bui Duc Hai (white shirt) - the person who spread false news about mass fish deaths in Con Vanh.

After the news of mass fish deaths in Con Vanh beach was published, Thai Binh provincial authorities inspected the coastline of Con Vanh tourist area but did not discover the above situation. On May 8, Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee sent a working group led by Mr. Nguyen Hong Dien, Chairman of Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee, to go directly to Con Vanh beach to survey and verify the information. Based on the data reported by 8 coastal communes around Con Vanh beach and direct inspection, there was no phenomenon as rumored.

After the survey process, it was found that this was completely false and fabricated information, causing public confusion and significantly affecting Con Vanh Tourist Area and Thai Binh province. The Provincial People's Committee issued an urgent dispatch to prevent and handle the dissemination of the above false information.

Previously, on May 9, the Thai Binh Provincial Police Department summoned Bui Duc Hai (born in 1994), residing in Dao Dong village, An Le commune, Quynh Phu district, Thai Binh province, to work. Hai was the subject who spread false news about the phenomenon of dead fish at Con Vanh beach, causing public panic in Thai Binh.

News of dead fish, clams, and jellyfish in Con Vanh sea has caused public panic, significantly affecting Con Vanh tourist area in particular and Thai Binh province in general.

At the police station, Hai confessed that in order to attract public attention to the newly established website Thaibinhplus.vn, he copied images of mass fish and jellyfish deaths and posted an article titled: "The phenomenon of fish, jellyfish, and clams dying abnormally for many days has spread widely on Con Vanh beach while authorities have yet to find the cause."

Hai copied 4 pictures of dead fish and jellyfish on the beach from the internet and a picture of a woman sitting on the beach with a dead fish in front of her. He then used a tablet to compose content reflecting the mass deaths of fish, jellyfish, and clams that washed up on Con Vanh beach and combined the 4 pictures into the above article.

News of dead fish, clams, and jellyfish in Con Vanh beach has caused public panic, significantly affecting Con Vanh tourist area in particular and Thai Binh province in general.

After initiating a criminal case, the police will continue to investigate and clarify the case according to the provisions of law.

According to Dantri.com.vn