On May 4, the Da Nang City Police Criminal Police Department announced the temporary detention of Liu Hongbo, 31, and Lou JiaFeng, 37, for illegal detention and robbery. Hoang Xuan Son, 29, a resident of Quang Tri, was also prosecuted for illegal detention.

The three suspects, Hoang Xuan Son, Liu Hongbo, and Lou JiaFeng, at the time of their arrest. Photo: Thanh Huynh

According to the investigation, Lou JiaFeng entered Vietnam in late April and lost all his money gambling in Ngu Hanh Son ward. To cover his losses, Lou borrowed 900,000 Chinese yuan and 6,000 USDT (totaling over 3.3 billion VND) from Liu Hongbo but was unable to repay the debt. The two then conspired to detain Ding Lei, 32, a friend of Lou, to force him to pay the debt on Lou's behalf.

On the evening of April 28, shortly after Ding checked into a hotel on An Thuong 1 street in Ngu Hanh Son ward, the group lured him out for a meal. They then took him back to a room and restrained him. When Ding refused to pay, the victim was taken to an empty lot on Nguyen Khac Vien street and a warehouse in An Khe ward, where he was beaten and threatened for two days.

In the early morning of April 30, the group brought Ding back to the hotel. They forced him to transfer 20,000 Chinese yuan (approximately 70 million VND) to Lou via an electronic application, and also took his phone and other foreign currencies.

Upon receiving the report, the Criminal Police Department mobilized detectives to monitor the area during the holiday period. They reviewed accommodation establishments and identified individuals who had recently entered the country.

On May 1, after locating their hiding place, police raided the premises and arrested Liu Hongbo and Lou JiaFeng. Authorities seized a car, an electric motorcycle, passports, and various foreign currencies, including Hong Kong dollars and Korean Won.

At the investigation agency, the group admitted to using violence to force the victim to pay the debt. The case is currently being expanded and clarified.

Ngoc Truong