On 4/1, the Office of the Investigation Police Agency of Quang Ninh Provincial Police announced that Duong Van Toan, 69, from Hanoi, has been extradited to the province for investigation into fraud and property appropriation.

According to the case file, between 2006 and 2008, Toan, his wife, and accomplices established fictitious projects, falsely claiming tens of millions of USD in loan capital. This scheme allowed the group to defraud many people of substantial sums. At the Dien Cong Port project, prosecutors accused the group of appropriating over 11 billion dong.

Toan (right) was arrested after 17 years on the run. Photo: *Quang Ninh Provincial Police*.

In 2008, after authorities exposed their activities, police arrested accomplices. Toan, however, fled, severing all ties with relatives and frequently changing residences. For 17 years, he lived under the guise of a common laborer to avoid detection.

Investigators noted that Toan's long period of evasion significantly altered his appearance from his wanted photo, complicating identification. However, through professional investigative techniques and examining relationships, including on social media, detectives found a lead matching Toan's description.

Confronted with police evidence, the man admitted he was Duong Van Toan.

Le Tan