Police in northern Hai Phong City have detained a couple and a woman involved in a ring that illegally manufactured and traded weapons. Police have seized 29 guns from the ring.   The ring’s leader, 38-year-old Duong Minh Nhat, committed the offense while he was enjoying a postponement of a previous sentence. His wife, Tran Thi Hong Van, 42, was also arrested when police, who were acting on a tip-off, raided their house at 29 Nghia Xa Street, Le Chan District, Tuesday evening.

Police seized five pen guns, two shotguns, 45 bullets, a grenade, four lathes and drillers, and numerous gun parts and materials. Nhat used part of his house as a gun factory, which was furnished with machinery and equipment for weapon manufacturing. After questioning the couple, police raided another house in Hong Bang District and seized 53-year-old Vu Thi Loan, the house’ owner. While searching the house, police found and seized 22 guns, 350 bullets, a driller, a grinder, and other equipment and tools for weapon making. Police also seized a notebook that recorded details related to the manufacture and sale of weapons. After initial investigations the police concluded that Loan belonged to the weapon manufacturing ring led by Nhat. Further investigations into Nhat showed that he is a drug addict and has two previous convictions for charges of “destroying important works related to national security”.  In 2002, Nhat was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison for the said charge, but due to the fact that he was in the last stage of AIDS, the court decided to give him a postponement. Nhat told investigators that after being given the postponement, he learned how to make weapons and began to manufacture guns in May 2012. He said he sold his products to underground gangs in Hai Phong and other localities.   The police are expanding their investigation to track down others involved in the case.