Vietnam's 'Robber King' Captured After 30 Years on the Run

In Vinh Long Province, southern Vietnam, Tran Hoang Minh, 68, a fugitive known as 'Robber King Hoang Minh,' has been arrested after evading capture for over 30 years. According to local police, Minh had been on the run since the 1980s, having escaped custody multiple times and lived under various aliases. In 1987, Minh was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the People's Court of Hau Giang Province (former) for socialist property theft, citizen property theft, and escaping from custody. However, he escaped again in 1990 while serving his sentence. He then lived with a woman in Vinh Long Province and engaged in business on the river. During this period, he was involved in three more theft cases, allegedly stealing property worth approximately 250 million VND. Although recaptured in late 1995, Minh escaped from the detention center for a second time on June 23, 1996. The Vinh Long Provincial Police subsequently issued an arrest warrant for him. During his 30 years on the run, Minh used multiple aliases, including Tran Van Minh, Tran Hoang Lui, and Ha Hoang Lui, moving through many provinces in the Mekong Delta and the southeastern region. He completely cut off contact with his hometown. As part of a recent crackdown on fugitives, police, through information gathering and public assistance, identified Minh's hiding place and proceeded with his arrest.