The non-stop Tet holiday of the 'knight' who caught more than 3,000 robbers

While people are excitedly welcoming spring with their families, “knight” Hai still roams the streets chasing criminals. His joy and happiness is to bring peace to everyone.

On Tet holiday, we visited the street “knight” Nguyen Thanh Hai (residing in Phu Hoa ward, Thu Dau Mot city, Binh Duong). There would be no difference from the surrounding households if the 45-year-old man was at home receiving guests and having fun with his wife and children. Over the phone, he said that the time when people go out to celebrate Tet is crowded is when robberies are most active, so surveillance must be intensified.

The non-stop Tet holiday of the 'knight' who caught more than 3,000 robbers

Into the cycle of life and death

Stopping his car on the sidewalk near the Phu Hoa Ward People's Committee headquarters, "knight" Hai told about his journey of self-sacrifice for a cause. Twenty years ago, Binh Duong built industrial zones, immigrants poured in, so the security situation was complicated. Robberies arose more and more.

"Back then, I was in the construction materials business and witnessed many times customers and workers being robbed of jewelry, money, motorbikes... At times like that, I hated thieves to the core, wanted to catch them all to protect everyone," he recalled.

In 1996, when Phu Hoa ward established the Crime Prevention Shock Team, this tall, strong young man volunteered to join. From then on, “knight” Hai rushed into the battle without stopping.

Fearing that Hai would succumb to the robbers' cunning, his relatives tried to stop him. At those times, he tried to convince them, telling his parents: "I cannot go to the temple, so I will directly help people. I am healthy, have been trained by the police in hunting robbers, and my life is not in danger."

"It took many months for everyone to agree," he said.

Joining the anti-crime team is also a journey into the cycle of life and death. During the days of "fighting", Hai had to be hospitalized many times with stab wounds and slashes caused by thugs. According to him, in the rainy season of 2005, on the way to buy porridge to take care of his wife who was giving birth to their first child at the hospital, he discovered that the young man was acting strangely, so he secretly followed him.

When arriving at the wedding dress shop, the stranger broke the lock and stole an expensive motorbike from a local resident. When he tried to drive away, the “knight” rushed up and knocked him down. After controlling the suspect, another young man ran over and pretended to help, then suddenly stabbed Hai in the back, causing him to collapse.

He won the property for the people but that time, Hai had to stay in the hospital for many weeks.

Solved 2,000 cases

During his 20 years of hunting robbers, “knight” Nguyen Thanh Hai and his teammates have solved 2,000 cases and arrested 3,200 criminals. Among the suspects, there are those who are gang leaders, hostage takers, thieves, and debt collectors.

"Knight" Hai and his colleagues subdued two armed thieves in 2013. Photo provided by the character.

Going back in time, the “hero” said that at the end of December 2013, when he arrived at Binh Nham ward (Thuan An town, Binh Duong), Hai discovered two young men driving a motorbike without a key at high speed. He chased after them and approached them, but one of them pointed a knife at them and threatened to kill him.

When the vehicles stopped, a man with a knife rushed in and stabbed Hai, forcing him to dodge. “The man continued to stab me, so I had to turn around and kick him in the arm. The knife fell to the road, I rushed in, grabbed his neck, and locked his arms to control him,” Nguyen Thanh Hai used hand gestures to describe.

Another time, he encountered two armed thieves, also in 2013. At that time, Mr. Hai and his colleagues discovered that a house in An Thanh Ward (Thu Dau Mot City) had its door broken open. When they approached to check, the "knights" group caught two masked young men smuggling the homeowner's property out.

Seeing a group of strangers, a young man pulled out a knife and tried to rush forward to slash while the other pointed a gun and threatened to shoot. Hai approached the gunman to negotiate and suddenly threw a rock, causing the pistol in the thief's hand to fly into the grass. His colleagues jumped in and knocked down the knife-wielding man. The two suspects were identified as Do Viet Cuong and Pham Tien Dung, both living in Ho Chi Minh City, and were later dealt with by the police.

Tet never stops

Despite being with the crime prevention team for so many years, he has not had a chance to enjoy Tet with his family. He confided that hunting robbers is "in his blood", so whenever he is at home or resting, he feels restless.

"Many nights I woke up while sleeping, thinking about someone being robbed, so I got up and went out to patrol the streets," the man who participated in arresting 3,200 criminals said with a laugh.

Nguyen Thanh Hai is the Captain of the Crime Prevention Team of Phu Hoa Ward (Thu Dau Mot City). Photo provided by the character.

There were some Tet holidays when he took his family out to enjoy the spring but had to give up halfway through. On New Year's Eve 2008, while taking his wife and children to watch fireworks, "knight" Hai heard a woman shouting "robbery". As soon as he stopped the car, he saw two robbers speed past on a motorbike. At this time, he left his wife and children on the side of the road and chased after the suspects...

Or like Tet 2010, when preparing to take the family on a trip to Vung Tau, I received news that someone had spread nails to "trap" on Binh Duong Avenue (section belonging to Phu Tho ward, Thu Dau Mot city).

"At that time, I canceled the plan to have time to monitor and catch the "nail bandit". After 5 days and nights of investigation, my teammates and I caught the nail spreader and handed him over to the police for handling," he said.

On the occasion of the Year of the Monkey 2016, he once again put aside personal happiness and immersed himself in chivalrous work, suppressing crime so that people could be at peace.

Lieutenant Colonel Ha Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Department of Building the Movement for the Protection of National Security (Binh Duong Police) said that Nguyen Thanh Hai is an energetic and enthusiastic person, always working side by side with the police force to maintain security and order. In the past time, he has arrested thousands of subjects, helping the investigation agency solve thousands of cases. Currently, he is the Captain of the Phu Hoa Ward Crime Prevention Team.

According to Mr. Thanh, “knight” Hai received many awards from local authorities and sectors. At the end of 2012, he was awarded the Third Class Military Exploit Medal by the President for his outstanding achievements in the movement to protect national security.

According to newzing