According to the Hanoi Police, in the early hours of April 23, officers from the municipal police department, in coordination with the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, successfully arrested the suspect in the robbery that occurred at the Phu My transaction office of VietinBank’s Thanh An branch in Phu Nghia commune, Chuong My District, on April 21.

Following more than 38 hours of investigation and pursuit, Vu Van Lich, a 40-year-old resident of Nam Hai commune, Nam Truc District, Nam Dinh Province, was apprehended by the Criminal Police Division, Forensic Department, and other specialist units under the Hanoi Police, working in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security’s Criminal Police Department.

Prior to the arrest, around 1:30 p.m. on April 21, Lich entered the VietinBank transaction office, brandishing a knife and threatening staff members.

A female employee, fearing for her safety, quickly opened a drawer and placed all the cash it contained into Lich’s backpack.

After collecting the money, Vu Van Lich walked out of the bank, continuing to threaten people around him with the knife before fleeing on a motorbike in the direction of National Highway 6.

To evade authorities, Lich removed the license plate from his SYM Enzo motorbike and headed to a campsite area by the Red River, located in Linh Nam Ward, Hoang Mai District. There, he concealed the motorbike in a bush to avoid detection by police.

At the time of arrest, police seized an Oppo A95 smartphone, over 75.6 million VND (around 2,985 USD) in cash, and 176 million VND (approximately 6,950 USD) in a bank account.

During questioning, Lich confessed that he committed the robbery due to heavy losses from online “tai xiu” gambling. He was in debt to multiple individuals and decided to rob a bank to repay the money.

He prepared a 30cm-long cleaver-style knife, a one-liter plastic bottle filled with gasoline, and a pair of fabric gloves. At 1:30 p.m. on April 21, Lich arrived at the bank on his motorbike, threatened staff with the knife, poured gasoline on himself and the counter, and threatened to set it on fire. This intimidation led to the successful theft of 214 million VND (approximately 8,450 USD).

With the stolen money, Lich purchased an Oppo A95 smartphone, covered various personal expenses, and transferred a portion into a bank account. He admitted to using 20 million VND (about 790 USD) to continue gambling online.

Tien Dung