Making demands with the intention of escaping.

The situation where individuals under the influence of methamphetamine cause disturbances and take hostages creates dangerous situations, even threatening the lives of victims.

Each case is a tense battle of wits between the police force and the drug-crazed individuals – where every word and action determines the safety of the victim.

At approximately 4:00 AM on March 27th, in Bac Ninh province , a man entered a house and then used two knives to hold a 9-year-old girl hostage. Upon receiving the report, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Bac Ninh Provincial Police quickly arrived at the scene to rescue the child.

boat bac ninh 64 82467.jpg
The child was held hostage by an unknown intruder who broke into the house. Photo: XĐ

Unlike other drug addicts who often act erratically, Phan Văn Tuấn (42 years old, from Hai Phong ) made a very clear request: a motorbike and cash to escape.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Ngu, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department of Bac Ninh Provincial Police, said that the suspect Tuan repeatedly made demands and threats, and held a knife to the child's neck.

Video clip showing the police subduing the suspect.

After more than four hours of negotiations, the authorities agreed to Tuan's request to provide a motorbike and money for him to move from the second floor down.

While descending the stairs, Tuan held a knife to the child's neck with the intention of getting her into the car and escaping. The moment Tuan approached the motorbike, the knife slipped from the child's neck. Taking advantage of this momentary lapse, the police swooped in, subdued Tuan, and rescued the child, ensuring her absolute safety.

Unexpected demands

Previously, on October 29, 2017, at the Central Institute of Forensic Psychiatry ( Hanoi ), Tran Duc Anh (23 years old) used a fake gun and a knife to hold nurse Le Thi Ha hostage for a very unexpected reason. He claimed he came to the Institute to "rescue" a friend who was undergoing psychiatric evaluation. After holding the victim hostage, Tran Duc Anh made a demand: a car had to take him and his friend home.

Given the situation, the Hanoi City Police decided to comply with the suspect's demands and allowed officers to directly drive the car carrying the suspect and the hostage.

thumb_660_9b3f318d 0c8a 4107 b054 3aec0bfd036d.jpg
The scene where the female nurse was rescued. Photo: CAND (Vietnam Public Security Newspaper)

Throughout the journey from Thuong Tin to the city center, Anh repeatedly held a knife to the necks of both the victim and the driver. Using professional tactics, the police successfully apprehended the suspect when the vehicle stopped in front of a house.

In another incident, at approximately 9:00 AM on September 7, 2018, the Lao Cai City Police (Lao Cai Province) received a report from residents about an individual using a knife to threaten a hostage and dragging a woman into house number 059 (located on Nhac Son Street, Group 15, Coc Leu Ward).

When the police arrived at the scene, they discovered a suspect exhibiting signs of drug intoxication, holding a knife approximately 35cm long in his left hand and gripping the victim's neck with his right hand. At this time, the suspect repeatedly made demands of the authorities.

Realizing that the suspect was hallucinating and holding a weapon that could endanger the victim, the police negotiated and persuaded him to protect the victim's safety.

After numerous attempts to persuade him and fulfilling his request to see his family, the suspect finally released the victim around 10:00 AM that same day.

Investigations identified the suspect as Nguyen Manh Thang (29 years old, from Lao Cai). The suspect confessed that due to hallucinations from methamphetamine use, he took a knife from a butcher passing by and wandered aimlessly on the street before the incident occurred.

suffocation 1.jpg
The suspect Thang at the investigative agency. Photo: CP

Currently, drug-related crime is very complex, with addicts of all ages. According to a report by the Ministry of Public Security, by the end of 2024, the whole country had more than 220,000 registered drug addicts, illegal drug users, and people under post-rehabilitation management.

According to Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Vien, Director of the Department of Criminal Investigation of Drug Crimes (C04, Ministry of Public Security), out of a total of 95% of synthetic drug users, 70-75% are aged 17-35, with a large proportion being young people, students, and university students.

Alarmingly, the number of people using amphetamine-type synthetic drugs (also known as ATS) is increasing rapidly in various localities; it is estimated that amphetamine-type synthetic drug use accounts for 60 to 70% of the total number of addicts. The age of methamphetamine users is also rapidly getting younger.

The case of the girl being threatened in Bac Ninh: Grandfather's heart raced as he confronted the aggressive drug addict . Upon discovering his granddaughter being held hostage, Mr. Doan and his son secretly went to the second floor, intending to rescue the child.