At the explosion scene (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The Ho Chi Minh Citypolice have launched criminal proceedings against and put into temporary detentionfour suspects with charges of conducting terrorist activities aimed atoverthrowing the people’s administration, and three others of illegal tradingof explosives.
The information was revealed by the force at apress conference in the city on July 5.
According to Major General Phan Anh Minh, DeputyChief of the city’s Police, a big explosion occurred on June 20 at a policestation in Tan Binh district, injuring one officer and damaging some property.
After over 10 days investigating, the city’spolice, in coordination with their counterpart from the neighbouring provinceof Dong Nai, arrested seven suspects.
They seized nearly 10kg of TNT explosives, aswell as other materials used to make explosives, together with eight explosivesto be used for similar attacks.
After his arrest, Nguyen Tuan Thanh – born in 1990– confessed that his father Nguyen Khanh – born in 1964 and residing in TrangBom district, Dong Nai province – told him to make explosives with remoteactivation detonators. Both admitted to having close relationships with NgoHung, the self-proclaimed commander-in-chief of the Viet Nguyen dynasty,currently residing in the US.
Hung appointed Khanh as Governor of the Dong Naiautonomous region and Thanh as Major General. Afterwards, Hung transferred 120million VND (5,214 USD) to Khanh and assigned him to organise the production ofexplosives which would be detonated at police stations.
Following Hung’s order, Khanh assigned hisnephew, Duong Ba Giang – born in 1971 and residing in Dong Nai province – to makethe explosives. Thanh was responsible for supporting Giang.
After receiving two bombs created by Giang, Khanhhanded them to Vu Hoang Nam – born in 1996 residing in Tan Binh district, HoChi Minh City – and asked him to detonate them at police stations without clearaddresses.
On June 20, Nam threw two bombs into the policestation at Ward 12 in Tan Binh district, injuring himself in the process.
Khanh gave another bomb to Nguyen Xuan Phuong – bornin 1988, residing in Bien Hoa district, Dong Nai province – and asked him to createa blast at Tam Hiep police station in Bien Hoa district. However, Phuong leftthe bomb in a deserted location, falsely reporting back to Khanh that he had successfullyplanted it but that it may have failed to blast.
Khanh told the police that he bought explosivesfrom a group of people in Dak Mil district, Dak Nong province. On the basis ofthis, the police arrested three more suspects. However, they said they did notknow Khanh would use the explosives for terrorist purposes.
According to the investigation authorities, thereactionary Viet Nguyen dynasty group has enlisted several people to disturbpublic order in Ho Chi Minh City, filming and posting the incidents on socialnetworks, with many further events planned.
The police are expanding the investigation toarrest more suspects.
Speaking at the press conference, Politburomember and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan askedthe police to continue collecting more evidence relating to the case, as wellas coordinating with other countries to prevent terrorism.
He urged relevant agencies to increasecommunications to raise public awareness of legal obedience and spread athorough understanding of the Party’s and State’s policies to promptly detectand prevent terrorist plots. -VNA
VNA
