Received 1.1 billion VND from selling a fictitious plot of land, then... disappeared.
On the afternoon of October 27th, the Office of the Criminal Investigation Agency of the An Giang Provincial Police announced that they had arrested and extradited Pham Van Tuc (born in 1982, residing in Hanoi) from Da Nang back to the province.
During the investigation, it was determined that Pham Van Tuc used an identity card under the name Nguyen Thanh Hung (born in 1982, residing in Ho Chi Minh City) to conduct civil transactions and buy and sell land in Hon Nghe commune, Kien Luong district, Kien Giang province (now Hon Nghe commune, An Giang province).
In 2023, Tuc inquired about purchasing a plot of land in Hon Nghe commune, but the owner did not agree to sell. Afterward, Tuc posted the land for sale on social media. When contacted by Mr. D.MT (residing in Hanoi), Tuc used the name Hung to negotiate the purchase with Mr. T., then took Mr. T. and his wife to view the land, and they agreed to buy it for 1.1 billion VND. Upon receiving the full payment from Mr. T., Tuc gave him a land use right certificate with an address in Hon Nghe commune. Suspecting the certificate was fake, Mr. T. reported the matter to the police. Examination confirmed the land use right certificate was counterfeit.
After the police issued a decision to initiate a criminal case, indict the suspect, and order the temporary detention of Pham Van Tuc for the crimes of "Forging seals and documents of agencies and organizations"; "Using forged seals and documents"; and "Fraudulent appropriation of property," Tuc fled the area. On September 5, 2024, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Kien Giang Province Police (now the Criminal Investigation Agency of An Giang Province Police) issued a special wanted notice for Tuc.
After a period of hiding in various locations, on October 25, 2025, Tuc was arrested by detectives from the Investigation Agency Office of the An Giang Provincial Police in coordination with the Investigation Agency Office of the Da Nang City Police while hiding in Duy Nghia commune (Da Nang City).
It is known that while on the run, Tuc continued to use the name Nguyen Van Minh (born in 1983, residing in Bac Giang province) to defraud and misappropriate property from others.
The Investigation Department of the An Giang Provincial Police requests that anyone who is a victim of Pham Van Tuc contact the Office of the Investigation Department of the An Giang Provincial Police (address: 507 Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Rach Gia Ward, An Giang Province) to report the incident to assist in the investigation.
