Four of the suspects under custody. — Photo anninhthudo.vn

HÀ NỘI — Six people have been charged for their involvement in the murder of a man over unpaid gambling debts.

Trương Văn Hoan, 42, was found dead on December 2024 in a river in Svay Rieng, Cambodia, with his hands and legs tied.

Investigations show that Hoan was reportedly a regular at Cambodian casinos. In November 2024, he gambled at a casino near the borders but lost all his money.

He borrowed VNĐ100 million (nearly US$4,000) from a Vietnamese gang and continued gambling, only to rack up further losses. Unable to repay, he was held captive in a Chinese-run building and forced to call his wife, demanding she pay his debt.

While payment had yet to be made, he attempted to escape but was recaptured by the building guards, who asked the gang to pay a $5,000 fine for his trouble and demanded he be kept elsewhere.

The gang took him to another location by car at night. On the way, he screamed and flailed wildly, prompting his captors to gag him with tape and tie his hands and legs.

A gang member then stabbed him multiple times. When they discovered Hoan had died from the injuries, they dumped his body into the river and fled to Bình Dương Province, Việt Nam, the next day.

They attempted to cover their tracks by turning off their phones and going into hiding but were arrested later that month, following Hoan's wife reporting his abduction to the police.

Ngô Phi Long, 31, identified as the gang leader, was charged with murder, robbery, and illegal detention.

The same charges were pressed against Nguyễn Hoàng Long, Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, Lê Văn Chung, and Nguyễn Văn Phương.

Nguyễn Mạnh Hải and Trần Ngọc Mình faced charges of robbery and illegal detention.

The suspects allegedly had operated a loan-sharking network since April 2024.

Their tactics involve lending a sum of money, ranging from VNĐ50 million to VNĐ200 million, to gamblers at an upfront 10 per cent interest rate and threatening violence against those unable to pay. — VNS