Hanoi’s crime lords of the 90s: A tale of power, profit, and prison

The recent arrests of several criminal kingpins highlight the ongoing efforts of Vietnam’s law enforcement to combat organized crime. These arrests not only weaken criminal operations but also help restore public order. VietNamNet revisits the files of these infamous gang leaders to understand the persistent efforts of authorities to dismantle Hanoi’s most feared gangs.

Khanh 'Trang' and his dirty empire

Born in 1956 in Hanoi, Duong Van Khanh, known infamously as Khanh “Trang,” transitioned from repeat offender to influential gang boss after purchasing a pedicab and gathering a crew of 30 followers under the Long Bien Bridge.

In early 1991, taking advantage of a city initiative to regulate cargo loading at Dong Xuan Market, Khanh requested to form a self-managed loading and order enforcement team. He was made team leader, with Nguyen Van Son (“Son Lun”) and Nguyen Van Tuan (“Dung Beo”) as deputies.

By 1994, the team evolved into a formal labor union under the Hoan Kiem Labor Federation, with Khanh elected chairman. From there, he implemented his own system: fining vehicles, charging tolls to outsiders entering Dong Xuan and Long Bien markets, and forbidding vendors from handling their own goods - his men had to do it, or face intimidation and violence.

The gang’s reputation grew as they expanded into bus stations and Long Bien Market. Without paying any taxes, Khanh’s group raked in billions of dong. From 1994 to May 1996, Khanh declared a revenue of only 740 million VND but paid just over 62 million VND in taxes. Yet in just eight days, investigators found he had earned nearly 110 million VND. Tax authorities later confirmed Khanh had hidden more than 4.8 billion VND in income and evaded over 350 million VND (about 14,000 USD) in taxes.

On March 24, 1991, a fight broke out between one of Khanh’s men, Tran Dai Duong, and Nguyen Duc Thang, a helmet seller at Dong Xuan Market. Khanh, with Duong and others, sought out Thang’s brother Hung to intimidate him.

The confrontation escalated into violence. When Thang rushed to help his brother, he was stabbed and brutally beaten even after being placed on a pedicab. He died from his injuries.

Khanh then orchestrated a cover-up, instructing gang member Vu Quoc Dung to take the fall for the murder, promising to support him. Dung received a seven-year sentence. Khanh, remarkably, walked away with only an administrative fine.

However, the Ministry of Public Security received numerous reports of Khanh’s crimes. In May 1996, with solid evidence and witness accounts, authorities moved in.

Khanh had attempted to extort Nguyen The Manh, owner of a karaoke bar, and when he couldn’t collect, he ordered over 40 men to dismantle and steal the bar’s equipment. This incident, clearly qualifying as robbery, prompted immediate action.

While investigating the old murder case, police noticed inconsistencies - namely, that Dung couldn’t have inflicted the fatal wounds based on the angles described. But from Khanh’s position on the pedicab, it was entirely plausible.

Confronted with these facts, Khanh eventually confessed. He was arrested on May 24, 1996. In September 1997, Khanh and 23 gang members were tried in court. He accepted the charges without protest and was sentenced to death. On October 13, 1998, Duong Van Khanh was executed at Cau Nga shooting range.

Born in 1957 in Hanoi, Nguyen Thi Phuc - nicknamed Phuc “Bo” - ran a parallel racket under the guise of operating a cargo loading service at Phung Hung and Dong Xuan markets. Her gang extorted traders and maintained control through intimidation.

Among her inner circle was Duong Tu Anh, whom she promoted to “deputy general” of her loading union. In 1994, after a fire displaced traders from Dong Xuan Market to a temporary market at Phung Hung, turf tensions rose between Phuc and Khanh.

To preempt Khanh’s encroachment, Phuc dispatched Tu Anh and Do Cuong Giang to confront Khanh’s group. The two clashed with Vinh “Dong,” one of Khanh’s men, at Long Bien Market. A scuffle ended with Vinh smashing a beer bottle into Tu Anh’s eye, causing permanent blindness in one eye.

Despite the incident, Phuc warned Khanh that her territory was off-limits. They reached a non-aggression agreement to avoid further bloodshed. Tu Anh even withdrew his complaint against Vinh “Dong.”

In June 1996, under orders from Hanoi Police leadership, a special task force reviewed all known crimes linked to Phuc “Bo.” On June 19, 1996, authorities arrested 11 members of her gang, including Phuc herself, and searched her residence.

By July 22, 1996, the number of arrests had grown to 23. Several suspects, including her son Nguyen Tuan Anh, faced charges for organizing drug-related activities. Investigators later tied Phuc to an illegal detention case at 60 Hang Bo Street.

After serving her sentence at Prison No. 5 in Thanh Hoa, Phuc was released in 2000. Suffering from serious illness, she later became paralyzed.