Editor’s note: The continued arrests of organized crime leaders have demonstrated relentless efforts by law enforcement in the fight against crime, especially organized crime. Apprehending these kingpins not only weakens criminal gangs and halts illegal activities but also helps restore peace to society. VietNamNet revisits the files of these infamous crime bosses to reflect on the tireless journey of authorities battling organized criminal networks.
The downfall of hardened crime lords
Organized crime has grown increasingly reckless, aggressive, and sophisticated, penetrating every facet of society, from loan sharking and protection rackets to illegal resource exploitation, drug trafficking, and arms dealing. In economically active regions, criminal gangs take on various forms.
Faced with determined action from the police, many organized crime syndicates have been thoroughly dismantled, helping restore order and bring safety to the community.
Among these victories, recent public attention has focused on the Ministry of Public Security’s raid and prosecution decisions against Nguyen Anh Tuan (51), known as Tuan "the wizard" – a notorious gangster from Thanh Hoa.
The name Tuan "the wizard" has long been notorious in Thanh’s criminal circles. His gang was involved in loan sharking, debt collection, extortion, and used social media to flaunt their power and disregard for the law, instilling fear among locals.
Despite multiple stints in prison, Nguyen Anh Tuan continued to violate the law on a large scale, leading an organized, cunning, and sophisticated criminal operation.
Disguised as a construction enterprise with dozens of licensed mining companies in Thanh Hoa, Tuan orchestrated over-extraction, revenue fraud, and caused significant losses to the state budget.
Recognizing the severity of the case, the Ministry of Public Security directed the C03 Department to act. On May 2, 2025, investigators raided several company headquarters linked to Tuan. Then, on June 2, the Ministry’s Investigation Police Agency prosecuted and detained Nguyen Anh Tuan and six others.
Tuan "the wizard" was charged and detained on two counts: violating regulations on resource exploitation and violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences. The case remains under investigation, but these actions underline the determination of police to suppress organized crime.
Tuan "the wizard" and his associates’ arrest has sent shockwaves through the underworld.
Hanoi has also seen the rise of traditional gangster groups: tattooed enforcers, surrounding debtors’ homes, issuing death threats, and intimidating victims’ families.
Mai Hong Hai, known as Hai "Lu," remains infamous in Hanoi’s criminal world. Hai "Lu" had four prison terms. After his fourth release, he gathered followers to form a violent debt collection gang.
Hai cultivated close ties with other Hanoi gangsters, taking on contracts for debt collection and splitting the proceeds accordingly.
In January 2025, after a lengthy investigation, Hanoi police mobilized over 60 officers to simultaneously raid six locations, arresting Hai and his accomplices. Mai Hong Hai and several associates were prosecuted and detained for extortion.
Preliminary investigations showed that, in just six months, Hai’s group committed 20 violent debt collections, causing serious psychological trauma to numerous victims.
In Vietnam’s underworld, figures like Tuan "the wizard" and Hai "Lu" have risen in the last decade. In the 1990s, the name Truong Van Cam (alias Nam Cam) terrorized many with brutal tactics.
Nam Cam is remembered as the most notorious crime boss in Ho Chi Minh City during the 1990s and early 2000s. With a network spanning bars, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, and docks, Nam Cam controlled a massive “underground economy.”
Notably, Nam Cam had covert ties with corrupt officials, allowing his syndicate to expand its territory and influence.
It was not until the launch of the Z501 case (known as the “Nam Cam and Associates” case) in May 2001, led by the Ministry of Public Security, that Nam Cam’s gang was finally dismantled. The trial became a record in terms of the number of defendants (over 100) at the time. The arrest and trial of Nam Cam effectively severed a criminal network that had spread terror across Ho Chi Minh City and beyond.
While Nam Cam was infamous in the South, Vu Hoang Dung (known as Dung Ha) became a powerful name in the North, especially in Hai Phong. After building her reputation in the North, Dung Ha expanded to the South in 1998 with Nam Cam’s support.
However, tensions quickly arose between Dung Ha and Nam Cam, leading to open conflict. Dung Ha disrupted Nam Cam’s operations, despite his protection.
Their rivalry reached its peak when Dung Ha was assassinated by Nam Cam’s associates, shocking Ho Chi Minh City and directly leading to Nam Cam’s downfall.
Beyond these notorious bosses, the police have also dismantled many organized crime gangs such as Khanh Trang, Minh Sam, and Phuc Bo. Khanh Trang, who controlled the Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi, created a “Cooperative Union” as a front to collect protection money from merchants. Minh Sam, a feared boss in Bac Ninh, dominated freight yards, forced daily payments from vendors, extorted transporters, and used violence to crush dissent.
Cracking down on the mafia-style crime
Monitoring recent police operations against criminal gangs reveals that, while “mafia-style” crime is constantly targeted and suppressed, these groups continue to morph and infiltrate society under new guises.
Lawyer Le Van Kien, Head of the Light of Justice Law Office, commented: “Mafia-style crime not only inflicts severe economic harm but also leaves lasting psychological scars and undermines social order.”
Many businesses have had to “pay off the mafia” to operate safely or face destruction if they refuse. This suffocates the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and stifles local economic growth.
According to lawyer Kien, beyond financial losses, these gangs spread fear in the community. Residents in affected areas live in constant anxiety, fearing threats and retaliation.
Many victims have been livestreamed or filmed for public humiliation, a form of psychological terror in the digital age.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, in the first quarter of 2025, police investigated and solved 9,468 social order crimes, arrested and processed nearly 20,000 individuals, busted 9 criminal gangs, and neutralized or apprehended over 700 wanted criminals.
Major nationwide investigations have targeted gangs “masked as businesses,” those engaged in black-market lending, high-tech crime, or cross-border activities. Numerous criminal networks have been dismantled.
Y Nhuy
Vietnamnet.vn
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