3 gangsters sentenced to life in prison in Phu Quoc brawl

On January 31, after two days of deliberation, the People's Court of Kien Giang province issued a verdict against 70 gangsters who caused a land protection brawl in Phu Quoc city that left 2 people dead and many others injured.

The People's Court sentenced Doan Thien Long to life in prison for the crime.Killing;12 years in prisonIllegal storage, transportation, trading, and use of military weapons;The total sentence is life imprisonment. Previously, Long was recommended by the People's Procuracy for the death penalty.

Also receiving the same sentence were Nguyen Van Thai, also known as Thai Bus; Bui Duc Ngoc. As for Pham Anh Hieu and Bui Minh Trung - two gangsters who also played a leading role but were less dangerous, they were sentenced to 20 years and 14 years in prison respectively.

The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from 6 months suspended to 13 years in prison for the crimes.Murder, Disturbing public order, Concealing criminals, Illegal storage, transportation, purchase, sale, and use of military weapons.

According to the verdict, the disputed land was originally reclaimed and cultivated by Mr. Nguyen Van Khieu many years ago. He sold it to Khuc Van Doai (a local influential person) for 11 billion VND, but Doai only paid 1.1 billion VND and did not pay any more; he divided the land into lots and sold it to many people to build houses, including Nguyen Van Truong (a member of the Nong Truong gangster group).

Mr. Khieu could not get his money back, so he asked Nguyen Thi Bich Chi, Nguyen Van Tuan, and Do Thi Anh Huong (lawyer) to settle the matter with an advance payment of 250 million VND and 50% of the land value when the work was completed. According to the plan, Huong would complete the procedures to reissue the land papers for Mr. Khieu, which required measuring and determining the location. However, when Huong and Chi brought people to measure, they were prevented by Doai and Truong. They asked Thai Bus' group to protect them, fence the land, and assign people to guard until the measurement and paperwork were completed.

Thai then invited gangsters Pham Anh Hieu, Bui Duc Ngoc, Doan Thien Long, Nguyen Quoc Vinh, Vo Van Luong, Nguyen Van Qua and some other gangs to join a "4 billion VND protection contract" so that the person disputing the 2.2 hectare land plot could come and measure it. The group met at the house of the boss Bui Minh Trung, aka Trung Ca Mau.

At noon on October 27, 2022, a Thai group of more than 50 gangsters, driving 12 cars, carrying machetes, 3 guns... went to the disputed land plot to carry out their plan, but a clash occurred between the Nong Truong and Khuc Van Doai gangs. Doan Thien Long used homemade guns to shoot at the opposing group, killing 2 people and injuring many others.