Police in Ho Chi Minh City busted a kidnapping and extortion ring involving Chinese and Vietnamese nationals after a few hours, rescuing one Chinese in late February, an officer said on Thursday. 

The case began on the early morning of February 28, when the criminal police unit under the municipal Department of Public Security received a call about a Chinese man being kidnapped by a group of Vietnamese and Chinese.

The department quickly ordered an investigation to locate the victim, while ensuring his safety. 

Within four hours, investigators identified the kidnappers as Ma Cai, 49, the mastermind of the operation, Fan Guohui, 39, and Li Chuang, 47, all of whom are Chinese nationals.

Others involved in the ring were Huynh Van Toan, 30, and Nguyen Thanh Vu, 31, both hailing from Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam, and Le Thi Bich Xuyen, a 35-year-old resident of Can Tho City in the southern region.

The victim was kidnapped and kept in a remote area with rugged terrain and dense vegetation in Pham Van Hai Commune, Binh Chanh District.

When police officers closed in on the kidnappers, they attempted to resist arrest, using weapons and trying to flee. 

However, police swiftly apprehended all the individuals involved.

They confessed to their roles in the crime. 

Ma, Fan, and Li conspired to kidnap the victim and extort over 600,000 USDT, a kind of cryptocurrency, worth approximately US$392,350.

To execute their plan, they hired the three Vietnamese individuals – Toan, Xuyen, and Vu – to track the victim and assist in the kidnapping.

At 0:00 on February 28, the group saw their opportunity when the victim got out of his car.

Guohui and the Vietnamese accomplices immediately seized him, forcing him into a vehicle, while Ma and Li followed on a motorcycle, ensuring that the operation ran smoothly.

They then transported the victim to an isolated location and extorted money from him.

Based on the evidence, police issued urgent arrest warrants for the suspects. 

Ma, Fan, Li, Xuyen, and Toan were charged with kidnapping and extortion under Articles 157 and 170 of the Penal Code, while Vu faced charges of illegal detention.

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