The lone thief and his billion-dollar safe-cracking heists.
(Baonghean.vn) - Son used to be an accountant at a school, so he knew when different institutions had money. Son bought the necessary tools and rode his motorbike at night, going to different localities to steal in order to cover his tracks.
» Awards presented to the task force for successfully solving 11 safe-cracking cases.
They broke into a safe and stole over 2 billion VND.
Between late 2015 and early 2017, Nghe An province experienced a series of thefts at offices, schools, and businesses, with estimated losses exceeding 2 billion VND. The areas targeted by these crimes included Vinh City, Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, and Hung Nguyen districts, where security vulnerabilities were exploited.
 |
| Cao Xuan Son at the investigative agency. Photo: Quynh Trang |
The sheer density and extent of the damage caused panic among the public and businesses, especially teachers and staff in the education sector. Conflicts and suspicions arose among many units, leading to a complex security situation.
In response to this situation, the provincial police leadership directed the Criminal Police Department to establish Special Case 417D to combat the crime, mobilizing maximum resources and operational measures to quickly apprehend the suspect and restore security and order in the area.
The special task force mobilized investigators from the PC45 unit, the Dien Chau District Police, and several other professional units to focus on reviewing and verifying suspects in Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Quynh Luu, Hung Nguyen, Vinh City, Nghi Loc, and some surrounding areas, including suspects from other provinces who showed signs of operating in Nghe An province.
The focus was on individuals with prior convictions for theft, drug addicts, gamblers, vagrants, and those involved in itinerant criminal activities. Simultaneously, the task force expanded its coordination with prisons under the Ministry of Public Security in the area, reviewing recently released prisoners to gather additional information.
Through the evaluation of the cases, the investigation team identified a pattern in the perpetrators' activities. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Hoa Ky, Head of Team 4, Criminal Police Department, stated: The perpetrators typically target schools in November. For businesses, they choose the end of the month, a time when schools and companies have large amounts of cash. The investigation suggests the perpetrators likely possess knowledge of accounting and expertise in the education sector, therefore, a connection with an insider cannot be ruled out.
After more than three months of investigation, the special task force identified Cao Xuan Son (born in 1972, residing in Block 3, Con Cuong town, Con Cuong district) as a suspect. Son had two previous convictions for theft. Further verification revealed that Son was formerly an accountant at a secondary school in Con Cuong district, but was dismissed due to disciplinary action. Notably, at that time, Son had questionable habits regarding his time and finances; he was unemployed but had a lot of money for extravagant spending and debauchery.
Based on the collected evidence, on July 22, 2017, the special task force arrested Cao Xuan Son while he was gambling in Con Cuong district with over 300 million VND in gambling money.
 |
| Son is very professional at breaking into safes to steal valuables. Photo: HP |
Professional conduct
At the investigative agency, for the first 9 days, Son appeared "stubborn" and cunning, only admitting to his gambling activities, claiming ignorance of the thefts. However, through sharp investigative techniques, Cao Xuan Son finally confessed to all the safe-cracking incidents in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces that he had committed.
To commit the crime, Son prepared an electric drill, two drill bits, a screwdriver, two concrete chisels, a crowbar, a length of rope, a pair of gloves, and two flashlights. Son chose crime scenes far from his residence to make it difficult for law enforcement to identify him.
For offices and businesses equipped with security cameras, Son would use blankets to cover himself, spray paint on the cameras, or remove the camera's recording device to disable the system. For absolute safety, Son would cover his face and wear gloves while committing the crimes to avoid leaving any traces at the scene. Afterward, he would go to administrative offices and treasury rooms to find safes, using a drill to steal money and valuables.
"The suspect was very cunning. After stealing the safe and taking the cash and valuables, the suspect only used the cash and discarded the assets such as laptops and set-top boxes, without buying, selling, or exchanging them, in order to sever any clues that could be traced through physical evidence by law enforcement," Lieutenant Colonel Tran Hoa Ky added.
 |
| The provincial police chief congratulated the special task force on their success. Photo: Quynh Trang |
From November 2015 until his arrest, Son successfully carried out 11 safe-breaking robberies, stealing nearly 2.2 billion VND. The Criminal Police Department has decided to initiate criminal proceedings, indict and detain Cao Xuan Son on charges of "Theft of property" to continue the investigation and expand the case.
The thefts committed by Cao Xuan Son: The first incident occurred at Phan Dang Luu High School in Yen Thanh district on November 15, 2015, where the perpetrator stole 490 million VND. The second incident occurred at Nghi Loc 1 High School in Nghi Loc district on May 13, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 40 million VND. The third incident occurred at Cienco 4 Construction Company in Vinh City, Nghe An Province on June 15, 2016, resulting in the theft of 300 million VND and one computer. The fourth incident occurred at the Agricultural Supplies Company in Nghi Loc district on September 22, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 38 million VND. The fifth incident occurred at Dien Chau District General Hospital on January 1, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 42 million VND. The sixth incident occurred at Hong Linh Brick and Tile Company in Hong Linh town, Ha Tinh province, around July 2016, where the perpetrator broke into a safe and stole 100 million VND and 1 tael of gold. The seventh incident occurred at Duc Tho District High School, Ha Tinh Province, on November 15, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 280 million VND. The eighth incident occurred at Dien Chau 2 High School in Dien Chau district on November 17, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 300 million VND along with a gold necklace and a gold bracelet. The ninth incident occurred at the 12/9 Brick and Tile Company in Hung Nguyen district on December 17, 2016, where the perpetrator broke into a safe and stole 150 million VND. The 10th incident occurred at a coal company near Ben Thuy Bridge, Vinh City, on December 30, 2016, where the perpetrator stole 322 million VND. The 11th incident occurred at Tam Tri Manh Co., Ltd., Dien Ky, Dien Chau on June 16, 2017, where the perpetrator stole 116 million VND, 100 USD, 6000 Chinese Yuan, and 3 mobile phones. |
Quynh Trang
