The police in the southern province of Dong Nai are conducting investigations on a suspected ring of beggars after receiving information and photos about them from reporters.
The police checking the room hired by Mrs. Toan
The begging recently appeared in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, causing public outrage. Old people and children have been turned into a means of earning money for their managers. After days of following the work, reporters of the Ho Chi Minh Law Newspaper have provided the police with information and images about the ring.
On October 19 evening, the reporters detected two old people asking for money from passers-by at Vuon Mit junction, Tan Tien Ward, Bien Hoa City. Many people happily gave them money. Three hours later when the street became deserted, a woman collected them and took them National Highway 1A.
After leaving the old woman at Vocational Training College No. 8 at Long Binh Tan Ward for begging, she came to Lotecco Industrial Park to take a girl who begged and sold lottery tickets. Around 10.30pm the same day, the old beggar and the girl were taken to a guesthouse in Tan Phong Ward.
Through their investigations, the reporters claim the woman who specialises in taking the old beggar, Nguyen Thi Bau, 75 years old, and the girl, Nguyen Thi Sin, 11 years old, has been identified as Dinh Thi Toan. All of them are from Quang Xuong District, Thanh Hoa Province.
The police also found small change, including VND5,000, VND1,000 and VND2,000 notes in a bag in Toan’s room.
Asked by the police, Sin said, “Today, I begged VND100,000 (USD4.76) but I am only given VND5,000 for savings.”
According to the local police, Toan said Bau and Sin are her relatives and she had registered them for temporary residence. The police are investigating the case.
Mrs. Bau at the room