The man in the police uniform stole the gold and threw it onto the street.
A robber armed with an AK rifle stormed into two gold shops in Dong Ba Market, stole the gold, threw it onto the street, and fled on the afternoon of July 31st.
At approximately 12:30 PM, a man dressed in a police uniform and carrying an AK rifle stormed into the Hoang Duc and Thai Loi gold shops in Dong Ba Market. After firing several shots that shattered the glass display cases, he took the gold, put it in a bag, and ran out to the market gate. He threw the bag of gold onto Tran Hung Dao Street and into a clump of trees, shouting, "Gold for the poor!"
The robber then walked towards Gia Hoi Bridge, down to the hexagonal house area on Trinh Cong Son Street, firing his gun into the air as he went.witnessReports indicate that a woman in the jewelry store sustained abdominal injuries and was taken to the hospital.
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| The glass display case at Hoang Duc gold shop was shattered by gunfire on the afternoon of July 31st. Photo: Vo Thanh |
The Thua Thien Hue police mobilized numerous forces to apprehend the robbers. Traffic police set up outer perimeter checkpoints, local police urged residents to avoid dangerous areas, and firefighters and riot police, wearing body armor and using armored vehicles, approached the suspects near the Gia Hoi bridge.
Tran Hung Dao Street, the section in front of Dong Ba Market, was blocked off. Hundreds of traders in Dong Ba Market and residents near Gia Hoi Bridge were asked to move away from the scene and close their doors to avoid stray bullets. However, seeing gold being thrown onto the street, many people rushed to pick it up, causing chaos.
At 2 PM, having determined that the suspect was hiding in a park at the foot of Gia Hoi Bridge, Colonel Dang Ngoc Son, Deputy Director of the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Police, went there to persuade him to surrender.
The suspect subsequently laid down his weapon and surrendered. He was identified as Ngo Van Quoc, 38 years old, residing in Huong Thuy town, Thua Thien Hue province.
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| The suspect called a relative after shooting and robbing the jewelry store. Photo:Van An |
The police seized numerous spent cartridges, an empty AK rifle magazine, a magazine with ammunition, and the AK47 used in the crime.
Two gold shops are currently sealed off for police investigation. At Hoang Duc shop, the glass display case containing the gold has at least two bullet holes, with shards of glass scattered around.
Dong Ba Market is the most famous and bustling market in Hue City, located on the north bank of the Perfume River, on Tran Hung Dao Street. It attracts many domestic and international tourists during their trip to Hue.
