On August 9, the Buon Ma Thuot City Police (Dak Lak) announced the arrest of Tran Huu Phuoc (32, from Dak Doa town, Dak Doa district, Gia Lai province) for alleged fraud and appropriation of assets.
Tran Huu Phuoc, the suspect
Investigations reveal that Phuoc, a director of a construction company in Gia Lai province, resorted to fraud due to gambling debts and business losses. In early 2023, he moved to Buon Ma Thuot City, where he targeted rental businesses, particularly those offering motorbike rentals.
Phuoc would obtain phone numbers of these businesses from Facebook and then contact them, expressing interest in long-term rentals. He would then sign contracts and take possession of the motorbikes. However, instead of using them, he photographed the vehicles and advertised them for sale on social media platforms, using the money to fund his personal expenses and repay debts. Through this scheme, he illegally acquired six motorbikes from three different businesses in Buon Ma Thuot City.
On January 23, 2024, the Buon Ma Thuot City Police issued an arrest warrant for Tran Huu Phuoc on charges of “Fraud and Appropriation of Assets.” However, Phuoc went into hiding, prompting the police to issue a wanted notice.
After months of tracking, on August 8, the Buon Ma Thuot City Police Criminal Investigation Team successfully apprehended Phuoc while he was working as a construction laborer in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province. It is also known that Phuoc is wanted by the Dak Doa District Police in Gia Lai Province for similar fraud offenses.
