At 9 PM on 15/8, Theu was escorted back to Vietnam by a task force from the Investigative Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security, the Vietnam INTERPOL office, and the Hanoi Police.

Theu was discovered residing illegally in Thailand on 22/5 and was preparing to flee to Turkey. As Theu had recently given birth, authorities needed time to prepare for the extradition.

Previously, 30-year-old Theu was wanted by Hanoi Police for failing to report a crime, in the case of Pho Duc Nam (also known as TikToker Mr. Pips) and "Mr. Hunter" Le Khac Ngo, who defrauded over 5.3 trillion VND.

Ngo Thi Theu holding her child while being escorted back to the country. Photo: Ministry of Public Security

Mr. Pips and Mr. Hunter's network began operating in 2021. They launched several websites with English interfaces to mislead participants into believing they were reputable international forex trading platforms. In reality, these websites were programmed and linked to bank accounts managed by Nam's group.

According to Hanoi Police, this is Vietnam's largest forex and stock market fraud scheme. Most victims fell into the trap because they believed in the opulent and wealthy image of Nam and Ngo. Coupled with the desire for quick riches, investors were easily lured in.

In addition to calling for "Mr. Hunter" Le Khac Ngo to surrender, Hanoi Police have issued an international arrest warrant for a Turkish national suspected of leading the fraud ring.

125 properties related to Nam's group have been frozen. Photo: Provided by the police

Investigators have seized a total of 5.315 trillion VND in cash and assets in the case. This includes 316 billion VND in accounts, savings books worth over 200 billion VND, 69 billion VND in cash, 2.3 million USD, 890 SJC gold bars, 246 kg of raw gold, 31 luxury cars, 59 brand-name watches worth approximately 300 billion VND, and 125 properties have also been frozen.

Currently, the police have identified 571 victims and are urging the remaining individuals to come forward and cooperate. Many mistakenly believe that because they lost money in stock investments, they don't need to report. However, the police request that all victims come forward to assist in the investigation and potentially recover their funds.