Kidnapping and extortion group of 4.5 billion VND sentenced
Tran Anh Tuan, 35 years old, was brought to trial for hiring someone to kidnap a garden owner and demand a ransom of 4.5 billion VND, because he did not sell the land as promised.
On June 9, Tuan was sentenced to 16 years in prison by the People's Court of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province for the crime ofKidnapping for the purpose of appropriating propertyArticle 169 of the Penal Code.
Tran Van Tin and five accomplices were sentenced to 12-16 years in prison. Two others were sentenced to two years in prison for the crime.Illegal detention.
According to the Trial Council, Tuan was the ringleader throughout the case, the other defendants actively helped out of greed, so severe punishment is needed.
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Tran Anh Tuan when answering the jury. Photo:Truong Ha
The indictment determined that Tuan knew that the 51-year-old coconut garden owner in Hoa Hiep commune, Xuyen Moc district, needed to sell a 10.5-hectare plot of land for VND38 billion. In November 2020, Tuan brought a customer from Ho Chi Minh City to inquire about buying it. After many negotiations, the garden owner increased the price to VND42 billion, causing the transaction to fail. Tuan was angry because he did not receive a commission, so he came up with the idea of kidnapping the garden owner to demand ransom.
Tuan hired Tin and his accomplices for 100 million VND to carry out the plan, and paid an advance of 20 million. Tuan continued to contact his business partner in Lam Dong, asking him to find a place to "send people to rehab" but in reality it was to detain the victims.
On December 4, Tuan hired a car to take the group from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria City, called the garden owner, pretended to introduce someone to buy the land, then controlled him, put him in the car, gagged him, tied his hands and feet and drove away.
After driving nearly 20 km, the group members were paid the remaining wages, so they got off the bus and returned to Ho Chi Minh City. Tuan and Tin took the hostages to a hut in a coffee plantation in Bao Lam district, Lam Dong, and asked two people to guard it.
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The group of defendants when listening to the representative of the People's Procuracy announce the indictment. Photo:Truong Ha
Tuan called the garden owner's wife several times, demanding that she transfer 4.5 billion VND or he would kill the victim. She agreed to take time to collect the money, then reported it. The police arrested the whole gang.
