'Boss' from Nghe An leads transnational tiger trafficking ring
Nguyen Huu Hue established a construction materials trading company as a cover for illegal tiger and wildlife trafficking. Under Hue's command, there were many followers who were willing to take the blame for this "boss".
On July 25, the Police Department investigating crimes of corruption, economics, and smuggling (Hanoi City Police) has just dismantled a transnational tiger trafficking and trafficking ring, catching the "boss" of the ring red-handed transporting 7 frozen tigers for sale.
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| Nguyen Huu Hue (middle) with two "henchmen". |
Specifically, at around 2:00 p.m. on July 23, the Anti-smuggling and Prohibited Goods Trafficking Team (Department of Investigation Police on Corruption, Economic Crimes, and Smuggling) inspected a Hyundai Santafe car with license plate 37A-448.16 in the parking basement of Indochina Building (241 Xuan Thuy, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi). At the time of inspection, the police discovered 7 frozen tigers in the car.
The three people in the car were identified as Nguyen Huu Hue (born in 1967, in Dien Doai commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An), Director of Dai Minh Trading Service Company Limited (headquartered in hamlet 16, Dien Yen commune, Dien Chau); Phan Van Vui (born in 1985, in Dien Yen commune, Dien Chau) and Ho Anh Tu (born in 1991, in Quynh Giang commune, Quynh Luu, Nghe An).
At the police station, Nguyen Huu Hue confessed that he had just bought the above tigers in Laos, then illegally transported them to Vietnam by road and brought them to Hanoi to find a buyer.
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| 7 frozen tigers are being transported by Hue for consumption. |
Hue’s network has been repeatedly dismantled by local police. However, with his cunning nature, “boss” Nguyen Huu Hue has always escaped.
In January 2017, Nghe An police inspected Hue’s farm in Dien Doai commune (Dien Chau district) managed by Nguyen Van Kien (Hue’s brother-in-law), and discovered two tigers weighing nearly 300 kg and half a mountain goat in the freezer. At the time of the police inspection, Nguyen Huu Hue was not present at the farm.
To deal with the authorities, Hue often chose families with difficult circumstances in the commune to hide the evidence or hid it in the freezer at the farm, leaving it for his brother-in-law to look after.
After the above incident, "boss" Nguyen Huu Hue became more cautious, only conducting tiger trading transactions with acquaintances, with delivery time and location provided by Hue.
Hue established Dai Minh Trading Service Company Limited, specializing in building materials as a cover for illegal tiger and wildlife trafficking. Under Hue's command, there were many disciples willing to take the blame for this "boss".
The case is still under investigation.
