In Vietnam, mother, son jailed for stealing 1,000 unattended ducks

Nguyen Ngoc My, 44, was jailed for 18 months and her son Le Hong Phet, 27, received a one-year sentence after a first-instance trial by a regional court, according to court officials.

Prosecutors said My spotted a flock of ducks left unattended along a canal in Long Chu Commune on August 8, 2025 and decided to steal them, later calling Phet to assist.

My then herded about 1,000 ducks roughly 500 meters away before Phet hired a truck to transport the flock to Phuoc Chi Commune, where they were sold for VND65 million (US$2,468).

The owner reported the loss about a week later, and both defendants admitted to the theft when questioned by police.

Authorities later recovered the ducks, valued at more than VND83 million ($3,152), and returned them to the owner.

The pair compensated the owner VND45 million ($1,709) and refunded more than VND66 million ($2,506) to the buyer, both of whom submitted requests for reduced sentences, the court said.