Investigation conclusion on the gang specializing in stealing rosewood from temples and pagodas

To have money to spend, Tuan and his accomplices discussed and planned to steal rosewood from temples and pagodas to sell.

On June 26, the Hanoi City Police Department announced that it had concluded the investigation into the case of “theft of property” and “receiving property obtained by others through criminal acts”, and at the same time requested the People’s Procuracy at the same level to prosecute 4 defendants, including: Nguyen Xuan Tuan, Dao Trong Son, Nguyen Dang Hai and Le Quang Dien, all residing in Cao Vien commune, Thanh Oai district, Hanoi.

According to the investigation, the four defendants all had criminal records and were unwilling to work. To have money to spend, Tuan and his accomplices discussed and planned to steal rosewood from temples and pagodas to sell. The group prepared crowbars, chainsaws, black cloth to cover their faces, gloves, flashlights, pliers, sharp knives, etc.

From May 2016 to September 2016, taking advantage of rainy nights, they used motorbikes or hired taxis with tools to break into temples and pagodas in Hanoi and some neighboring provinces to steal rosewood. This group successfully carried out 4 cases.

Subjects Tuan, Hai, Dien.

On the night of July 19, 2016, Do Van Ngo called Tuan to discuss the plan to steal rosewood. Both of them hired a taxi to go to Thanh Mac communal house, Thanh Da commune, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi.

The two broke into the communal house, used a crowbar to pry up two 2.5m long, 10cm thick, 20cm wide rosewood bars in the rear palace, and sold them for 330 million VND to split.

Using the same method, on the night of August 14, 2016, Tuan, Hai, and Son hired a taxi to break into Phu Chinh Pagoda, Hoa Chinh Commune, Chuong My District, Hanoi, using a crowbar to break the door to the Back Palace, and pry open 5 rosewood planks with lengths ranging from 0.4m to 1.2m, total weight of more than 32kg. After stealing the 5 rosewood planks, the subjects hired a taxi to transport them to Dien's duck farm to sell for 4 million VND/kg, earning 115 million VND.

On the night of September 29, 2016, Tuan invited a friend to break into Chua Chem, Bac Tu Liem District, Hanoi, but discovered that there were security guards and a camera system, so they both left. On the way, they were discovered by a working group from the Criminal Police Department, Hanoi City Police on duty.

Through administrative inspection, the working group seized a large bag containing pliers, crowbars, chisels, etc. The two subjects were taken to the police station.

Through the investigation, Tuan clearly stated the actions of his gang members who specialized in stealing rosewood from temples and pagodas. They successfully carried out four rosewood thefts, and were discovered in the fifth case.

Based on collected documents and confessions of the four suspects, the Hanoi City Police Department determined that Nguyen Xuan Tuan participated in three cases, appropriating 925 million VND; Nguyen Dang Hai and Dao Trong Son participated in one case, appropriating 115 million VND; Le Quang Dien consumed assets from two thefts, illegally profiting 103 million VND.

According to CAND