Police disclose details of Cambodia murder, robbery case involving Vietnamese suspects

The announcement was made on Tuesday as the city's police department held a commendation ceremony for the criminal police division. The unit was honored for its coordination with the Ministry of Public Security after a Can Tho resident was identified among the suspects.

The commendation also served as an occasion for police to officially reveal full details of the case, which occurred two months ago.

Cross-border robbery

The case occurred on July 7, when a group allegedly led by Nguyen The Du, 49, from Vietnam’s Tay Ninh Province robbed a grocery and currency exchange shop in Bavet City, Svay Rieng Province, Cambodia.

Police said the group had surveyed the shop before carrying out the robbery.

At around 8:00 pm that day, the suspects allegedly entered the shop after it had closed and restrained and attacked owner Sam Hak, his wife, and their daughter.

Hak was killed in the attack, while his wife and daughter were injured.

After leaving the scene, the suspects traveled about 30 kilometers before dividing the stolen property among themselves.

They then hired a vehicle to take them toward the Binh Hiep border area in Tay Ninh Province and allegedly crossed illegally into Vietnam through a border trail.

Police said Doan Phuong Tam, 35, who was living in Svay Rieng Province, allegedly helped three members of the group cross the border by motorbike.

After Cambodian authorities determined that the suspects were Vietnamese nationals, they shared information with their Vietnamese counterparts.

Vietnam’s Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security launched a special investigation and coordinated multiple police units to track down the suspects.

Among those being sought was Le Tan Buu, 43, a resident of Can Tho City.

500km manhunt

Can Tho police found that Buu had left the city and was hiding in Lam Dong Province.

A team from the Can Tho criminal police division then traveled more than 500 kilometers to Lam Dong to join local police in the manhunt.

The suspect was hiding in a remote mountainous area covered by dense forest, police said.

After several days of surveillance, Can Tho and Lam Dong police arrested Buu at around 2:30 pm on July 12.

Officers seized eight taels of SJC gold, eight gold rings, two broken gold bracelets, US$4,600, VND70 million ($2,696), two motorbikes, and three mobile phones.

Information provided by Buu helped investigators expand the search for the other suspects.

By July 25, the entire group had been arrested, with police recovering 28 taels of SJC gold, US$22,600, and other evidence linked to the case.

Police identified Du, Buu, and Le Thanh Phuc, 44, as members of the group directly involved in the robbery. All three were detained for investigation into murder and robbery.

Other individuals were investigated for allegedly assisting the suspects after the crime. 

Doan Phuong Tam, 35, was accused of helping three members of the group illegally cross the border into Vietnam, while Nguyen Hai Au, 43, was investigated for allegedly helping conceal the crime. Nguyen Duy Khanh, 32, was investigated for allegedly failing to report it.

Police said members of the robbery group used part of the stolen money to repay debts and cover personal expenses.

The Can Tho criminal police division was later commended by the Ministry of Public Security for its role in tracking down the suspects and helping solve the case.