The rumor that strangers including two Chinese men attempted to kidnap three students in a commune in the south-central province of Binh Thuan is false, local police confirmed Friday.

>> Vietnam police nab 5 for purportedly kidnapping girl for $47,400 ransom Yesterday evening, Nguyen Van Hue, chief police of Bac Binh District, told media that the rumor had stirred up the public, prompting a large number of local residents in Hong Thai commune to flock to the local People's Committee on National Highway 1, causing chaos and traffic congestion. Some extremists smashed the window of a car carrying four people, including two Chinese and two Vietnamese, who were falsely accused of “kidnapping three students” early the same day, Hue said. Police used loudspeaker to told the crowd that the rumor was false and request that they leave the highway and not commit any extremist actions, he added.  

People flock to Hong Thai People's Committee after hearing the rumor of abducting students on September 26, 2014 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Police invited the four people in the car to their office for questioning, after the vehicle ran into a fruit garden. These people told police that they were on the way to purchase dragons from local growers in the district. Police also questioned a grade 7 student and two grade 8 ones who were said to be the victims of a failed attempt of kidnapping by the above four people. These students said they were walking on the highway then that car run close to them and stopped. A person inside that car them waved to them. The students did not response to the strangers and continued to walk, but the car kept running after them, so they run away because of fear.  

Police try to dimiss the crowd and escort the car carrying four strangers out of the scene (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

This simple story was exaggerated into a “kidnapping case”, which rapidly spread among locals, causing them to flock to the highway to prevent the car and the “kidnappers,” police said. Two local women were found incited others to gather at the highway, police said. They added that they have escorted two Chinese men to the provincial Immigration Department for identification purposes.

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