The Criminal Police Division under the Danang Police said on May 4 that Liu Hongbo, 31, and Lou Jiafeng, 37, were detained on charges of illegal detention and robbery. Hoang Xuan Son, 29, from Quang Tri Province, was also prosecuted for illegal detention.
The suspects at the police station (Photo: Danang Police).
According to investigators, Lou Jiafeng entered Vietnam in late April and lost all his money gambling in the Ngu Hanh Son area. He later borrowed 900,000 yuan and 6,000 USDT from Liu Hongbo but was unable to repay the debt.
The two allegedly conspired to abduct Ding Lei, 32, a friend of Lou, to force him to repay the debt.
On the evening of April 28, when Ding arrived at a hotel on An Thuong 1 Street, the group lured him out for a meal before taking him back to a room and restraining him. When he refused to pay, he was taken to a vacant lot on Nguyen Khac Vien Street and later to a warehouse in An Khe, where he was beaten and threatened for two days.
In the early hours of April 30, the suspects brought Ding back to the hotel and forced him to transfer 20,000 yuan via an electronic payment app. They also took his phone and additional foreign currency.
Following a report, police deployed officers during the holiday period to track suspects, inspect accommodation facilities, and identify recent arrivals.
On May 1, authorities located and arrested Liu Hongbo and Lou Jiafeng, seizing a car, an electric motorbike, passports, and various foreign currencies, including Hong Kong dollars and Korean won.
At the police station, the suspects admitted to using violence to force the victim to repay the debt. The case remains under further investigation.
