On June 17, authorities in Dien Bien Province announced that, in coordination with Lao police, they had successfully dismantled this high-tech scam network based deep within the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone.
Hoang Van Trung, 31, has been identified as the mastermind behind a transnational cyber fraud ring operating in the notorious Golden Triangle Economic Zone. By creating a fake virtual gold trading platform called "ATFX," Trung and his associates swindled assets from hundreds of Vietnamese citizens.
Trung, a resident of Quang Hoa District in Cao Bang Province, was arrested alongside 73 other suspects, ending a months-long investigation triggered by suspicious online activity first detected in February.
According to the investigation, Trung colluded with several foreign nationals to operate the fraudulent "ATFX" virtual gold exchange. Designed to mimic legitimate platforms, the operation lured victims into investing real money, which was then siphoned off through sophisticated methods.
Deemed a complex and cross-border criminal enterprise with international elements and sophisticated tactics, the case led to the formation of Special Task Force 625T in early June, directly overseen by the Director of the Dien Bien Provincial Police.
Hoang Van Trung, alleged leader of the fraud ring. Photo: Dien Bien Provincial PoliceColonel Vu Van Dau, Director of Dien Bien Provincial Police, personally interrogates suspects. Photo: Dien Bien Provincial Police
The fraud ring was based in a remote and mountainous section of the Golden Triangle - a region known as a hotspot for criminal activity. Investigators faced multiple challenges, including terrain, language barriers, and legal limitations under foreign jurisdiction.
Trung and his group used encrypted messaging apps, frequently changed hideouts, and moved across borders to avoid detection. They also buried or destroyed digital evidence as part of their escape plans.
In June, after Lao authorities launched a crackdown near the border, the group retreated deeper into the Golden Triangle zone and prepared to flee to Cambodia via multiple routes.
By early July, intelligence reports confirmed that the group was preparing to split up and flee. With the situation escalating, the special task force decided to strike ahead of schedule and launch a multi-pronged operation.
Items seized during the raid. Photo: Dien Bien Provincial PoliceSuspects transferred from Laos to Vietnam. Photo: Dien Bien Provincial Police
On July 5, nearly 200 officers from the Dien Bien Provincial Police, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, and Lao police simultaneously launched coordinated raids.
At the heart of the Golden Triangle Economic Zone, two Vietnamese-Lao joint teams comprising 58 officers raided two key locations and captured 45 suspects - including Hoang Van Trung, who was hiding in a nightclub.
Simultaneously, 14 suspects were arrested at Vientiane International Airport while attempting to board a flight to Cambodia. Another 15 were intercepted at the Tay Trang International Border Gate as they tried to re-enter Vietnam and cross illegally into neighboring countries.
Within just 24 hours, authorities arrested a total of 74 suspects - 59 Vietnamese nationals and 15 Chinese nationals - across three key hotspots: the Golden Triangle, Vientiane, and Tay Trang.
In the early hours of July 9, all 59 Vietnamese suspects, along with confiscated evidence, were escorted back through Tay Trang International Border Gate and transferred to the Dien Bien Provincial Police headquarters.
By 8 p.m. that evening, the Criminal Investigation Agency issued prosecution decisions for 38 individuals, including Hoang Van Trung as the ringleader. They are charged with “Fraudulent appropriation of property” under Clause 4, Article 174 of Vietnam’s Penal Code - a charge carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
