Using Google Maps to "hunt" for construction sites to steal electrical cables.
On August 10th, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police announced that the Criminal Investigation Department, in coordination with other professional units, had investigated and apprehended a group of four individuals specializing in breaking into construction sites that were temporarily halted or incomplete to steal electrical cables and equipment.
Notably, at the International Nursing Vocational Training Center Project in Tan Phong 2 village, Luu Ve commune, Thanh Hoa province, the group of suspects repeatedly stole property worth over 352 million VND, causing nearly 12 million VND in damage to the transformer station system.
Previously, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Investigation Agency received a report about a theft of property that occurred at the International Nursing Vocational Training Center Project, which is invested in by Son Thai Thanh Group Investment Joint Stock Company.
Recognizing the serious nature of the incident, the significant value of the stolen property, and the meticulous preparation of the perpetrators' methods and tactics, the Criminal Police Department of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police, in coordination with Luu Ve Commune Police and other professional units, promptly implemented investigative measures and focused on tracking down the suspects.
The investigation faced numerous difficulties because the construction site was located far from residential areas, with little traffic and almost no surveillance cameras. The incident occurred at night, during a period of heavy and prolonged rain in the area, which affected and obscured many traces at the scene, hindering the examination and collection of documents and evidence.
Furthermore, the construction management unit could not accurately determine the exact time the property was stolen, thus failing to report it to the police in a timely manner. These factors made it difficult to determine the time of the crime, the method of entry, and to track down the perpetrators.
Determined to quickly clarify the case, the Criminal Police Department and other professional units persistently reviewed every clue and reconstructed the modus operandi of the suspects. Through this process, the police identified and summoned four suspected individuals: Le Hai Ninh (born in 2004), Le Van Lam (born in 2001), Nguyen Truong Chinh (born in 2002), all residing in Phong Nha commune, Quang Tri province, and Ho Thi Kim Dung (born in 2003), residing in Bac Hong Linh ward, Ha Tinh province. At the police station, faced with the evidence presented, the suspects confessed to their crimes.
According to initial statements, Le Hai Ninh was the mastermind. Ninh used Google Maps to search for information about construction projects that were temporarily suspended or incomplete. After identifying targets, Ninh personally surveyed the entrances and exits of the construction sites, studied the operating procedures of the security forces, and then recruited other individuals to participate in the theft.
From July 11th to July 28th, 2026, a group of individuals repeatedly broke into the International Nursing Vocational Training Center Project in Luu Ve commune. Taking advantage of the late night hours, they climbed over the wall into the transformer station area, using bolt cutters, shovels, crowbars, and other tools to dig up and cut underground electrical cables, and steal electrical equipment.
After stealing the property, the perpetrators would either separate the plastic casing to extract the copper core right at the scene or take it back to their motels or rented rooms to continue cutting and separating it, then sell it to scrap metal dealers in Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces to share the money for their personal use.
To avoid detection, after each crime, the perpetrators frequently changed the person directly involved and the means of transportation. Notably, they also hid the tools used in the crimes right at the construction site to use again in subsequent break-ins.
Further investigation revealed that from September 2025 until their arrest, the suspects confessed to committing numerous thefts of electrical cables and equipment at construction sites and projects in Ha Tinh, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Hue City, and other locations.
Based on the documents and evidence collected, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Investigation Agency has initiated a criminal case and prosecuted the defendants for the crime of "theft of property"; at the same time, it is continuing to investigate, expand, and clarify all criminal acts of the suspects and those involved.