Police in the central highlands province of Dak Lak has uncovered a murder case which aimed at swindling an insurance company.
Do Van Minh, 49, who is secretary of the Lien Ha Communal People’s Committee in Lam Dong Province was accused of killing a relative and creating false evidence so that people believed that was his body and the insurance company would pay his family, police announced at a press meeting held on May 11.
According to the police report, Minh incurred debts of over VND10 billion (USD434,782) after participating in an online coffee trading floor.
In April this year he decided to buy a life insurance package in which his family would receive VND18 billion (USD782,608) if he were to die, the report said.
He continued with his planned fake death in order to evade debts and get the insurance payment.
The Lam Dong official has two coffee plantations in the neighbouring province Dak Nong and usually drove his car there during the weekend. He often dropped in to visit a nearby plantation of Tran Nho Vuong, 25, who is a nephew of his wife.
On May 3, the two men had dinner at Vuong’s place and Minh stayed there overnight. At 5 am on May 4, Minh killed Vuong with an axe. He then took the body to his car and drove to National Road 28 in Dak G’Long District. He attempted to hit a roadside pole to fake a traffic accident. Before pouring nine litres of oil and three litres of petrol onto the body and the car and set fire, Minh put on his watch on the young man’s wrist and left his keys on the seats.
The man then walked to a nearby area where he left his motorbike and drove to Dong Xoai City in the southern province of Binh Phuoc. He rented a house to hide here.
After the burned car was found with a badly-burned body inside, the police called Minh’s family after the car and some items were found to belong to him. The family brought the body home and organised a funeral for Minh on May 5.
However, DNA testing then showed that the body was not Minh. Meanwhile, police found blood samples at the house of Vuong who was also reported to have gone missing and the DNA testing showed that body was Vuong.
Police then launched a hunt for Minh and he was then arrested on May 10 in Binh Phuoc.
Minh told the police that he had no conflict with Vuong and Vuong was a good man.
Speaking at the press conference, director of Dak Nong Provincial Police Department, Ho Van Muoi said that although there have been reports on murder cases for life insurance scams abroad, this is the first case that occurred in Vietnam.
Source: Dtỉnews
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