Nguyen Minh Sang, 33, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for property fraud by the Tay Ninh Provincial People's Court on 18/9/2026.
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Nguyen Minh Sang in court. Photo: Nam An
According to the indictment, Sang had no stable employment. Two years prior, he connected with a Cambodian individual named "Ku Man" and, through this contact, assisted police in rescuing several Vietnamese individuals trafficked to Cambodia.
After losing contact with "Ku Man," Sang could no longer facilitate legitimate rescues. Driven by financial need, he devised a plan to leverage his past credibility to extort money from families desperate to bring their relatives home from Cambodia.
Around 9/2024, Sang rented a hotel room in Hoa Thanh ward and recruited four individuals to join his self-proclaimed "Minh Sang Knight Team," with himself as the leader.
Sang created a Facebook page for the team, posting numerous images and articles about alleged rescue operations from Cambodia to Vietnam to build public trust. Over 7 months, by accepting money to "rescue" relatives, Sang defrauded four families of over 900 million dong.
On 24/11/2024, Vo Thanh Liem contacted Sang to rescue his brother, Vo Thanh Luan, who was being held in Cambodia and demanded a 180 million dong ransom. Sang requested the money, promising Luan's return within one day.
The following morning, after receiving 180 million dong, Sang drove Liem to the Moc Bai International Border Gate, claiming to be awaiting Luan's rescue to bring him back to Vietnam. Sang then blocked all contact and kept the money. Coincidentally, Luan managed to escape his captors and returned to Vietnam on the same day.
In 12/2024, Bach Thi Huong sought Sang's help to rescue her son, Dang Khanh Linh, for a 210 million dong ransom. She paid an initial 100 million dong, and Sang guaranteed a refund if Linh was not found within one month. After the deadline passed, Sang returned 60 million dong before blocking further communication.
On 22/2/2025, Vo Thien Son approached Sang to rescue his son, Vo Quoc Bao, who had been trafficked to Cambodia, with a 150 million dong ransom. Sang initially demanded 20 million dong for search expenses. Two days later, he requested an additional 200 million dong be transferred to the account of a frequently hired oto driver.
Through multiple requests for funds, Sang ultimately received and appropriated a total of 430 million dong from the family.
In early 4/2025, using similar deceptive tactics, Sang defrauded Le Vu Ngoan of 220 million dong.
Following reports from the victims, police arrested Sang. A search of his residence uncovered an oto, a laptop, various police and border guard uniforms, military insignias, and documents related to rescue operations.
Investigators determined that the four individuals who participated in the "Minh Sang Knight Team," along with those who rented vehicles and housing to Sang, were unaware of his fraudulent intentions and were therefore not criminally prosecuted.
Nam An
