Vietnam busts ring trading 1,000 modified guns online

According to the police, Vu Anh Tu and 42 accomplices are under investigation for purchasing military-grade firearms, modifying components to make them appear new, and selling them on social media.

The investigation revealed that in 2023, Tu and other ring members acquired untraceable military-grade firearms and imported additional parts from China, Laos, and Cambodia. They refurbished the guns in Vietnam, marketed them as "imports," and sold them through social media groups.

Hundreds of pistols in boxes traded by a ring are seized by police in Ha Tinh Province. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Quang

To communicate with buyers, the group used disposable SIM cards and fake accounts, shipping the guns via courier services, ride-hailing drivers, passenger buses, and even trains.

Police described the operation as a "sophisticated network led by hardened criminals who regularly carried weapons." The group was linked with transnational criminal networks and was prepared to resist arrest or flee to Laos, Cambodia, or China if discovered.

Officers in Ha Tinh Province that borders Laos initiated investigation after discovering that suspects involved in some local assault and property damage cases had obtained firearms from Tu's network.

In early November, they coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and law enforcement officials from different localities including Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh that borders Cambodia to conduct raids that led to the arrest of Tu and his 42 associates.

Guns and bullets sold online by a criminal ring. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Quang

Authorities confiscated 532 firearms, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition, 211.11 grams of narcotics, and two grenades.

Police reported that the ring had sold over 1,000 guns to clients domestically and internationally, generating illegal profits worth billions of dong (VND1 billion = US$39,400). Further investigation is ongoing.