Da Nang police rescue 2 Chinese nationals held over gambling debts

The Da Nang Department of Public Security announced on Wednesday that the two victims, Wang Xiaoci and Li Yaozong, had been rescued while the five suspects had been arrested.

The case came to light on September 12, when a Chinese man, Wang Daodong, reported that his friend Wang Xiaoci had been detained by a group of unknown individuals after losing a large sum at a casino in Duy Nghia Commune.

Police quickly collected information, launched an investigation, and deployed a rescue plan.

Authorities later found Wang Xiaoci being held in an apartment in the Hoi An D’or area, Hoi An Ward.

During the raid, police officers rescued both Wang Xiaoci and Li Yaozong, who was also being held over gambling debts.

Five suspects were apprehended, including four Vietnamese individuals from Thanh Hoa and Quang Tri Provinces and a 46-year-old Chinese citizen, Jiu Jun.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the victims had borrowed hundreds of thousands of Chinese yuan (one yuan equals 14 U.S. cents) for gambling.

After they lost, the group forced them to sign IOUs, restrained and assaulted them.

They also compelled them to call their families to transfer money for debt repayment.

Wang suffered a broken molar, while Li was threatened with an exorbitant daily interest rate of 20,000 yuan ($2,810) if he failed to repay on time.

Police in Da Nang are continuing to expand their investigation into the case.