On October 11, the Lao Cai Provincial Police announced that the investigative police agency has indicted and temporarily detained Nguyen Minh Hieu, 26; Pham Duy Hung, 30; Nguyen Quoc Chien, 26; Ta Quang Nghia, 30; and Nguyen Manh Hoan, 32. They are being investigated for illegally providing or using computer network information and telecommunications networks, under Article 288 of the Criminal Code.

According to police, the actions under investigation occurred from September 2019 to September 2026 in Lao Cai Ward. Authorities are continuing to clarify the roles of those who participated in acting, assisting, and sponsoring the production and uploading of these videos.

Previously, under the same charges, police indicted Le The Hung, 41, known as "Hung Loc"; Truong Van Nam, 36, known as "Nam Phap"; and Trinh Hai Nam, 39, known as Hai Nam Media. Hung and Nam were subsequently detained.

Five recently indicted individuals. *Photo: Lao Cai Provincial Police*

Investigations revealed that starting around May 2019, this group organized the filming of short videos with gangster content. These videos featured scenes of fighting, debt collection, gambling, and the use of knives, swords, sticks, and fake guns. After completion, Hai Nam uploaded these videos to the YouTube channel "24.TV", which was later renamed "Melody And Lullaby".

Two films, "Mot ngay tinh nghia ca doi la anh em" and "Thoi doi", attracted the most views, with over 4,7 million and 1,8 million views respectively.

The group was also found to have received money for embedding advertisements within the film content. Hung received 50 million VND to promote products, while Nam received 20 million VND in sponsorship from a business.

The Lao Cai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that the two films were produced without registration or a film classification license. Expert agencies assessed that the content and imagery contained violent elements, promoted violent behavior, and negatively impacted social security, order, and safety.

The scene where the group produced gangster films. *Photo: Lao Cai Provincial Police*

Recently, numerous TikTokers and "online gangsters" have been arrested for various offenses. These include the couple Huan Hoa Hong, Phu Le, Hai Sapa TV, Vua Quat, Khanh Sky, Ho Van Khoa, "Te Dien", "Co giao Huong", Pham Tuan, "Dung troc Ha Dong", and That Manh.