On 1/1, Ho Chi Minh City Police arrested Hai and 40 others. They are under investigation for five charges, including extortion and organizing or brokering illegal entry and exit.
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Nguyen Thanh Hai in a recent video. Photo: individual’s YouTube channel
According to investigators, this is a transnational criminal ring that used sophisticated tactics, exploiting the guise of "rescuing" laborers tricked into working in Cambodia for illicit gain.
Nguyen Thanh Hai is identified as the ringleader. He built a "savior" facade on social media, using accounts with large followings to regularly post videos and articles claiming his rescue operations were "free and received no money" to build credibility. His group even arranged for cameramen to film and stage interviews with victims to attract public attention.
However, the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Department (PC02) determined that the group’s activities were the opposite of their public claims. When victims' relatives contacted Hai for help, he conditioned assistance on an upfront payment for the rescue.
After receiving a "request," Hai connected with contacts in Cambodia to remove victims from scam compounds. The group conspired to inflate the ransom amounts, demanding that victims' families transfer money through multiple intermediary accounts to pocket the difference.
Hai used part of the money collected to pay his Cambodian associates, while the rest was divided among the group members. Investigators allege that since 2023, Hai's group has extorted over 16.7 billion dong from 120 people. Nguyen Thanh Hai personally profited over 2.2 billion dong.
Beyond extortion, the group's process for bringing people back to Vietnam also violated laws. Victims were transported across the border via unofficial routes and trails, without proper immigration procedures or legal documents.
Expanding the investigation, PC02 Ho Chi Minh City collaborated with the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Police Department (C02) and Cambodian authorities. They uncovered additional related criminal networks, including a group led by Le Van Thanh, which specialized in luring laborers to Cambodia to work for scam organizations, and another group led by Huynh Cao Cuong, another self-proclaimed "street knight."
Similar to Hai, Huynh Cao Cuong created TikTok and Facebook channels to post staged videos of dramatic rescues. When victims' families contacted him, Cuong quoted ransom prices hundreds of millions of dong higher than the actual cost to pocket the difference. For example, if the Cambodian side demanded 185-240 million dong, Cuong would quote 280-400 million dong. Cuong's group successfully carried out about 30 cases.
To date, the special investigation has successfully rescued 38 victims, bringing them safely back to Vietnam. Authorities also seized 19 computers and 35 mobile phones, and are continuing to expand the investigation to track down all involved individuals.
Ho Chi Minh City Police advise citizens to be wary of "easy work, high pay" offers abroad and to exercise caution when seeking assistance from self-initiated groups on social media.
Quoc Thang
