Detained the subject who extorted property from the driver at Kim Thanh Border Gate

On May 30, the Investigation Police Agency of Lao Cai Province Police executed an emergency detention order against Tran Viet Cuong to investigate the act of extortion.

Ảnh 2. Cơ quan Cảnh sát điều tra thi hành lệnh giữ người trong trường hợp khẩn cấp (1).jpg — The Investigation Police Agency executed an emergency detention order against Tran Viet Cuong.

Previously, on May 25, the Criminal Police Department (Provincial Police) coordinated with Lao Cai City Police and Lao Cai International Border Gate Border Guard Station to verify the incident on Facebook where an account named "Nguyen Huu Khanh" shared a video of a man demanding that the driver of a car carrying agricultural products for export to China through Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. II pay VND500,000. The subject informed that this amount was a "parking fee, gate fee". The incident occurred on May 23, 2024.

Through investigation and verification, on May 30, the Investigation Police Agency of Lao Cai Provincial Police issued an Emergency Detention Order and a Decision to temporarily detain Tran Viet Cuong, born in 1985, residing at 220, Luong Khanh Thien Street, Group 6, Duyen Hai Ward, Lao Cai City for the act of extortion of property as prescribed in Article 170 of the Penal Code.

Ảnh 4. Chân dung đối tượng Cường (4).jpg — Subject Tran Viet Cuong.

The initial investigation determined that from May 23 to 24, 2024, Tran Viet Cuong took advantage of the psychology of agricultural product drivers who had to wait in line for a long time to complete customs clearance procedures for export to China, while the agricultural products (durian) on the vehicle, if not exported in time, would be damaged, resulting in additional costs. Therefore, Cuong required the drivers to pay "parking fees and entrance fees" of VND 500,000/vehicle. Initially, it was determined that Cuong had extorted property from 8 drivers, with the amount of money appropriated being VND 4 million.

Currently, the Provincial Police Investigation Agency is continuing to fight and expand the investigation to clarify the act of property extortion of Tran Viet Cuong and related subjects to handle in accordance with the provisions of law.