Vietnam Cracks Down on 'Cyber-Gangsters' with Raid on Influencer's Home

The home of Bui Xuan Huan, 41, known online as Huan Hoa Hong, was searched by police on August 6 in the Vinhomes Ocean Park urban area in Hanoi. The raid, involving hundreds of onlookers livestreaming the event, is seen as part of a broader crackdown by Vietnamese authorities on individuals dubbed 'cyber-gangsters' who engage in illegal activities. Huan Hoa Hong, whose real name is Bui Xuan Huan, is a figure famous for his livestreams. The search warrant was signed by Lieutenant General Tran Minh Tien, Chief of the Office of the Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security, an agency that investigates many major criminal cases. The search lasted for several hours, but the Ministry of Public Security has not yet announced the results. The raid on Huan Hoa Hong's home, who is originally from Yen Bai (now Lao Cai), is a notable move amid the government's crackdown on 'cyber-gangster' activities. Previously, on August 3, Nguyen Van Hoi, known by the nickname Khanh Sky, another individual referred to as a 'cyber-gangster,' was urgently arrested after five days of livestreaming abusive language at the workshop of TikToker Vua Quat. Khanh Sky, Vua Quat, and another 'cyber-gangster,' Ho Van Khoa, were prosecuted by the Bac Ninh Provincial Police on August 7 for alleged 'causing public disorder' and 'abusing freedoms and democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the State and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.' Huan has not yet been indicted, but the search conducted by the Investigation Agency of the Ministry of Public Security—an unit that often handles major cases—seems to indicate signs of other offenses. This individual is known as a 'cyber-gangster' and was previously sent for drug rehabilitation by the authorities. However, he also operates as a businessman, holding the role of chairman and legal representative for a series of companies in various sectors. On Facebook, Huan Hoa Hong's fan page has over 3.7 million followers, while his TikTok channel has about 6 million subscribers, and his YouTube channel has over 336,000 subscribers with a cumulative total of over 117.9 million views. His Facebook posts often receive tens of thousands of interactions, and his short TikTok videos easily reach millions of views. In his livestreams and videos attracting millions of views, he often flaunts money, gold, supercars, and engages in charitable acts, accompanied by controversial statements. Among these, many pronouncements offering advice to young people have gone viral, such as: 'In this society, only through hard work, diligence, and perseverance can you compensate for laziness. You only earn by working...' Huan also previously posted videos discussing his investment in establishing businesses for flowers, ornamental plants, fish, birds, and pets; retail sales of gold, silver, precious stones, and jewelry. However, on August 2, Huan Hoa Hong announced, 'I will temporarily stop using social media.' The house searched in the Vinhomes Ocean Park urban area was frequently mentioned by Huan as one of his assets, alongside a villa in the Duong Noi urban area. In 2020, Huan Hoa Hong released a two-volume book set titled 'The Number One Money-Making Sword' and 'Online Business Secrets,' selling them for 799,000 VND. However, this self-help guide was flagged by the Internal Political Security Department (Ministry of Public Security) and the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications Inspectorate for lacking a publishing license. Huan was fined 17.5 million VND at the time. This individual has also faced administrative penalties and was sent for drug rehabilitation. Despite his notoriety as a 'cyber-gangster,' Huan Hoa Hong has also established a series of companies and invested in others. The first company he served as legal representative for was 168 Service Joint Stock Company, established in 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City, with its main registered business being house cleaning and various other services. Also in 2018, Huan was listed in the records of FB Asia Service Joint Stock Company, with a charter capital of 8 billion VND, also based in Ho Chi Minh City, primarily engaged in commercial advertising and online retail. Notably, HL Group Joint Stock Company was established in February 2022, headquartered in Duong Noi Ward, Hanoi, with a registered charter capital of nearly 100 billion VND. Of this, Huan contributed over 54.9 billion VND, and his wife contributed 40 billion VND. However, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper, these companies were not operating at their registered locations. Huan Hoa Hong's business activities, according to Vietnamese media, were conducted through online sales livestreams, primarily featuring products like perfumes and cosmetics. One of the livestreams Huan Hoa Hong broadcast in July mentioned his commitment: 'Anyone who transfers money to support charity, Huan will transfer three times that amount.' This statement received a positive response from Mr. Tran Dinh Tiep, a businessman dealing in fans and cooling equipment in Bac Ninh, known as TikToker Vua Quat. Mr. Tiep publicly stated that he had transferred 1.1 billion VND to support disaster-affected compatriots in Muong Than commune, Lai Chau province. However, Huan later backed down, explaining that he would not contribute 3 billion VND because he did not want to turn charitable activities into 'gambling.' The ensuing controversy surrounding this issue attracted significant public attention. Not stopping there, two prominent social media figures, TikToker Khanh Sky from Hung Yen and Ho Van Khoa from Hanoi, went to Vua Quat's company in Bac Ninh to livestream. The verbal exchange, reported by netizens and the media, involved Khanh Sky repeatedly swearing, threatening, and issuing challenges. The TikToker even declared: 'At worst, I'll go to jail, why be afraid?' Mr. Tiep filed a complaint. Khanh Sky was subsequently arrested urgently by Bac Ninh police, who also announced a search for TikToker Ho Van Khoa. By August 7, the Bac Ninh Provincial Police announced that they, in coordination with the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, had prosecuted Khanh Sky to investigate two charges: 'causing public disorder' and 'abusing freedoms and democratic rights to infringe upon the interests of the State and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.' On the same day, Mr. Khoa was also detained for investigation into the charge of 'causing public disorder.' Meanwhile, Vua Quat was also arrested by the investigating authorities. According to VNExpress newspaper, Vua Quat was accused by Huan Hoa Hong of 'slandering and insulting his honor and dignity.'