On March 14th, the Phu Hai Ward Police in Phan Thiet City submitted a report to the provincial police regarding the security situation at the Phan Thiet City cemetery, concerning complaints about a group of people extorting money for cleaning graves.

According to the Phu Hai Ward Police, the cemetery area has a high concentration of freelance workers, mainly employed by tomb construction companies, funeral and reburial service providers, and those involved in tomb maintenance contracts.

These laborers are not under the management of the cemetery administration, thus forming many small groups that frequently gather and conspire with each other, many of whom are drug addicts. Whenever people visit graves, these individuals arbitrarily clean them, then demand payment, ask for offerings of food and fruit, and use offensive language when they do not have the consent of the families visiting the graves or when they are given small amounts of money.

The Phu Hai Ward Police have compiled a list of 21 suspected individuals involved in criminal activities and law violations in the cemetery area, placing many of them under surveillance and sending them to compulsory drug rehabilitation centers.

Handling the case of a group of people extorting money for cleaning services at the cemetery in Phan Thiet City..jpg
A group of people are allegedly extorting money for cleaning graves at a cemetery in Phan Thiet. (Image cropped from a video clip)

Earlier on March 9th, a nearly two-minute video clip was posted on social media by Nguyen Thanh Trung, depicting a group of people extorting money from family members visiting graves at a cemetery in Phan Thiet City, causing outrage.

Subsequently, the Phan Thiet City Party Committee sent a document requesting the City People's Committee to direct relevant departments to coordinate with the City Cemetery Management Board to investigate the incident, identify the organizations and individuals involved, and strictly handle any violations (if any).

Cemetery extortion case: Investigating signs of property seizure.

Cemetery extortion case: Investigating signs of property seizure.

The Binh Thuan Provincial Police have launched an investigation to verify and clarify signs of extortion related to the incident where a group of people allegedly demanded money for cleaning services at the Phan Thiet City cemetery, causing public outrage.