The Criminal Police Department (C02, Ministry of Public Security) is investigating numerous suspects for the illegal manufacturing, possession, and trade of military firearms, the agency announced on 15/9.
According to C02, the network, with branches in multiple locations, was led by 33-year-old Ngo Quang Vy from Lam Thao commune, Bac Ninh province.
Starting in 2019, Vy and his accomplices purchased air guns, pellets, and components from international online marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. They then acquired machinery to manufacture, assemble, process, and modify these parts to increase their lethality.
Once the firearms were complete, Vy offered them for sale. To conceal his criminal operation, which involved thousands of orders, he rented two houses in Hai Duong province to store weapons, parts, machinery, and mechanical equipment.
 |
Confiscated firearms. *Photo: Police Department* |
To sell the firearms, Vy directed his team to use social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Telegram, Viber, and Zalo to create channels for livestreams, advertisements, and assembly instructions.
Authorities estimate the network’s transactions involving firearms and parts reached tens of billions of Vietnamese dong. In 2025 alone, the group processed over 3,500 orders. Many buyers from mountainous regions purchased airguns for hunting.
Under the direct supervision of Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Long, Deputy Minister of Public Security and head of the special task force, nearly 200 officers from C02 and police departments in Lai Chau, Ha Tinh, Bac Ninh, and Hai Phong provinces conducted simultaneous raids on 13/9. Police searched the premises of 33 suspects.
 |
Machinery used for weapons manufacturing. *Photo: Police Department* |
C02 confiscated 58 firearms: 53 PCP air rifles, two shotguns, and one rimfire rifle. Approximately 130,000 pellets for PCP airguns were also seized.
Police also confiscated thousands of parts and components for firearms, along with a lathe, two hydraulic presses, three air compressors, a grinder, a metal cutter, a drill press, a hand drill, and various machines for processing small parts, all used in the manufacturing and sale of weapons.
Initial assessments confirm all seized firearms and primary components are classified as military weapons.
