A police officer in Vietnam’s Central Highlands has been arrested and placed under investigation for selling weapons which he stole from an arms depot.

In February 2017, Nguyen Minh Chien, a policeman in Krong Bong District of Dak Lak Province, duplicated a key given to an officer in charge of the arsenal managed by the district police department, according to preliminary investigation.

The 32-year-old then used the copied key to enter the arms depot while on duty, taking away two K59 pistols, one CZ75 pistol, one of the most modern weapons used by Vietnamese police, one K54 pistol and the guns’ bullets.

Chien sold the firearms to a local named V.T.D., 39, for over VND100 million (US$4,400).

Eight months later, he again stole from the depot one CZ83 pistol and its ammunition, before selling them at VND25 million ($1,100) via an acquaintance.

Within one year since August 2016, D. bought different guns through six purchases from Chien, which he hid in a safe in Dak Lak.

Chien has been taken into custody while legal proceedings have been launched against him on charges of “appropriating, illegally trading military weapons.”

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