People in Nghe An are panicking over reports of child abductions.

(Baonghean.vn) - Information regarding two suspected child abduction cases in Tuong Duong district has caused great concern and anxiety among the local population.

According to information from the police in Xa Luong Commune, Tuong Duong District, a child has been missing for 5 days. The missing child is MT Ph, 4 years old, the son of Mr. Moong Van Nghe and Ms. Lin Thi Nguyen, of the Khmu ethnic group, residing in Na Be village, Xa Luong Commune.

Ms. Lin Thi Nguyen recounted the events with a heavy heart.

Ms. Lin Thi Nguyen, Ph's stepmother, said: Around 7 PM on April 15th, it was dinnertime, but her child hadn't come home. She anxiously searched throughout the village but couldn't find her. Because her husband was working far away, she was afraid of being criticized by relatives who might say that the stepmother hated her stepchild and had sold her to a bad person, so she didn't dare tell her relatives.

"Usually, when I'm home and not in the forest with someone carrying my child, Ph often goes to play at the neighbor's house and sometimes even eats and sleeps there. That day, I thought she would come back after playing. But she didn't come back for a long time, and I was afraid her siblings and the villagers would think that her stepmother had done something bad to her, so I didn't dare tell anyone. I searched for her for a long time but couldn't find her. Now I'm scared and miss her so much," Ms. Nguyen said.

In the following days, Ms. Nguyen searched alone for her child throughout the village, checking the field huts and searching in the forest, but still couldn't find little Ph. After searching for four days without success, she had to inform her relatives and neighbors. Upon hearing the news, the entire village split up to search, but to this day, there has been no trace of her.

Around the same time, in Hoa Dong ward, Hoa Binh town (Tuong Duong district), a suspected child abduction occurred. According to reports, at approximately 7 PM on April 16th, Luong An Phu (3 years old), the son of Luong Van Thang and Lo Thi Bien, was urinating by the roadside when an unknown person ran up and abducted him. Hearing his son crying, Mr. Thang chased after the child and shouted for help, at which point the perpetrator dropped Phu and fled.

Residents are worried and panicked by reports of child abductions in the area.

Four days have passed, but Mr. Thang and his wife are still in shock and anxiety. Ms. Bien recounted: "Around 7 pm, I was feeding my second child when I saw a young man carrying Phu and running away. My husband thought it was someone he knew, so he ran after them, telling them to put Phu down so he could go home for dinner. After about 20 meters, the man put the child down and ran away. My husband left the other child with someone else and borrowed a motorbike to chase after them, but the young man was nowhere to be seen. Everyone in the house was bewildered and scared."

Although the two incidents occurred in two different locations, they share a commonality: they happened at dusk, between 6 PM and 7 PM. Furthermore, there had never been any kidnapping incidents in the district before. Therefore, the people in the highland villages of Tuong Duong are truly bewildered and anxious.

Immediately after receiving the report, the police of Tuong Duong district and the local authorities where the incident occurred quickly launched an investigation and verification. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Phuc Tu, Head of the Tuong Duong District Police, said: "As soon as we received the report, we mobilized forces and officers to conduct a quick investigation and verification, but so far we have not been able to confirm whether this was an act of child abduction."

"We cannot rule out the possibility of some malicious individuals spreading false information to cause panic among the people. The police force will focus on coordinating with relevant agencies to organize public awareness campaigns to help people understand and feel reassured," Lieutenant Colonel Tú added.

On April 19th, the Tuong Duong District Police issued Notice No. 248/TB-CAH-XDPT to the police in communes and towns within the district. According to the notice, there has been a surge in activities involving the enticement, deception, and abduction of children in the district. Their modus operandi involves observing and gathering information near the victims' homes, then befriending the children by offering them candy, snacks, and toys before selling them.

In particular, some individuals act recklessly and commit crimes during the day, taking advantage of the fact that young children are playing alone to abduct them.

Official notification from the Tuong Duong District Police.

The district police have instructed the police in communes and towns to intensify public awareness campaigns about child abduction crimes. At the same time, they are to strengthen residency management, closely monitor unfamiliar individuals entering the area, and effectively manage individuals with prior convictions for human trafficking and illegal border crossings.

Following these two incidents, authorities advise that even though there are only signs of kidnapping, the public needs to be vigilant. Upon detecting any unusual activity, it is crucial to report it promptly to local authorities, specifically the commune or town police, so that investigations can be launched to clarify the situation. This will prevent malicious individuals from exploiting the situation to spread false information that could significantly impact the security and political stability of the district.

May Huyen - Vi Man