Immigration Department officers searching Mica David Bass's hotel room in Hà Nội. --Photo from the Public Security Ministry

HÀ NỘI — Mica David Bass, a US national wanted for murder, was arrested in Hà Nội on March 20 following a covert overnight operation led by Việt Nam’s Immigration Department.

Acting on intelligence from the US diplomatic mission, Vietnamese authorities tracked and apprehended the suspect after a meticulous search involving surveillance footage and on-the-ground reconnaissance, ensuring a swift and discreet handover for extradition, the department said on Friday.

Immediately after the arrest, the Immigration Department completed the necessary procedures to repatriate the suspect for prosecution.

On March 19, the Immigration Department received a request from the diplomatic mission of the US in Việt Nam regarding the entry of Mica David Bass into the country. The US side confirmed that Bass is a dangerous fugitive wanted by American law enforcement for murder.

Upon receiving this information, the Immigration Department’s leadership instructed relevant units to launch a confidential investigation to locate and apprehend the suspect in accordance with the law while ensuring national security and preserving Việt Nam’s international image.

The intelligence came in at around 8pm. Surveillance teams from the Immigration Department immediately began verifying the suspect’s whereabouts. At Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội, thousands of incoming passengers were reviewed via security camera footage in an attempt to identify the suspect. Simultaneously, another team was dispatched to verify the suspect’s registered lodging at a hotel in Hoàn Kiếm District in the centre of Hà Nội.

However, by late evening, the search had yielded no results. The suspect was not present at the declared address. In what was described as a needle-in-a-haystack situation amid the busy streams of international passengers at Nội Bài Airport, the department's leadership urged its agents to persevere, analysing the smallest of clues for leads.

Their persistence paid off. Late that evening, surveillance footage revealed that the suspect had boarded a vehicle headed into central Hà Nội. With this lead, the task force coordinated with other units to determine the suspect's destination. However, they were only able to confirm that the suspect had disembarked near Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

The area surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake is a bustling tourist hub, crowded with both locals and foreigners, and lined with hotels and guesthouses. Locating a foreign national here could take days or even weeks. However, the urgency of the mission left no room for delay.

Despite the difficulty and the late hour, the Immigration Department’s leadership narrowed down likely locations, relying on sharp instincts and limited information. All units remained mobilised, determined to track down the fugitive.

At 11.45pm, plain-clothes officers spotted a suspicious individual dining at a restaurant in central Hoàn Kiếm District. Continuing discreet surveillance, they followed the man as he returned to a hotel in Hàng Bạc ward.

Once the suspect’s location was confirmed, officers maintained covert surveillance throughout the night to prevent any chance of escape. Operating through the night presented its own challenges, particularly as late-night movements carried risks of exposure and the potential to provoke dangerous reactions from the suspect.

On the morning of March 20, the Immigration Department reported to the Ministry of Public Security and requested support from specialised units to detain the suspect. However, a new complication emerged: the suspect began showing signs of movement.

The operations team was immediately instructed to continue monitoring Bass’s movements and to time the arrest with precision. This task was especially challenging given the suspect’s criminal record, which includes illegal weapons possession and resistance to law enforcement. Compounding the difficulty was the hotel’s large number of foreign guests and the busy commercial area outside, where any resistance or escape attempt could have led to unpredictable consequences.

Within a short time of receiving final orders, the task force drew up a tactical plan. Various arrest scenarios were considered, and contingency plans prepared.

At around 10am on March 20, the arrest was executed by the Immigration Department in coordination with other units. The operation was swift and discreet—even tourists in the vicinity were unaware they had just brushed shoulders with a highly dangerous fugitive. Only when the man was taken away in custody did the hotel owner realise that their guest was a dangerous wanted fugitive. — VNS