Four players from the Hong Linh Ha Tinh Football Club are among the individuals detained by police officers in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam as part of an investigation into drug-related activities.

The players currently under investigation include Hong Linh Ha Tinh’s goalkeeper Duong Quang Tuan, center-back Nguyen Ngoc Thang, and midfielders Dinh Thanh Trung and Nguyen Trung Hoc.

A source from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Ha Tinh Province confirmed the situation on Wednesday morning, adding that the department planned to hold discussions with the top-flight V.League 1 club later in the afternoon.

Initial reports indicate that around 10:30 am on May 4, Ha Tinh Province’s drug crime investigation division, in coordination with local police, conducted an inspection at a hotel in the capital city of the same name.

During this operation, police identified the aforementioned four players as part of a group involved in drug use.

Following their apprehension, this group was detained by law enforcement for further investigation.

Three of them -- Dinh Thanh Trung, Nguyen Ngoc Thang, and Nguyen Trung Hoc -- were regular starters in Hong Linh Ha Tinh FC’s lineup.

Dinh Thanh Trung, an international from 2010 to 2018, notably won the Vietnam Golden Ball in 2017.

Nguyen Ngoc Thang recently joined the U23 Vietnam team in the quarterfinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 in Qatar last month.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Hoc consistently serves as the captain of Hong Linh Ha Tinh, having played in all 16 matches since the start of the season.

The club, currently ranked eighth in the V.League 1, traveled to Quy Nhon City in the south-central province of Binh Dinh for their coming match against MerryLand Quy Nhon Binh Dinh FC in Round 17 on Wednesday afternoon, without the four players.

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