Report Drug Ring Leader Caught Despite Surgery to Alter Appearance

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Photo courtesy of VN Express

 

In a gripping conclusion to a years-long manhunt, Vietnamese police have captured Le Thanh Quan, the leader of a drug smuggling ring, who underwent facial surgery in a failed attempt to elude capture. Quan, 35, was arrested on Saturday in Ho Chi Minh City after evading authorities since 2021.

 

The tale began in 2020 when Quan, a key figure in a narcotics operation, enlisted the help of Le Nguyen Thuy Vy, a 32-year-old delivery worker, treating her as his “adopted younger sister.” He introduced her to his cousin, Huynh Quoc Dat, with plans to involve them in his illicit trade network.

 

On 16th January 2021, Quan convinced Vy to transport “clothes and chemicals” from Ho Chi Minh City's bustling Kim Bien Market to the Cambodian border, unaware that she was carrying drugs. Using his cousin Dat as a chauffeur, Vy was driven to Ha Tien Town near the border. However, Quan changed the pickup location to the Tan Chau–Hong Ngu ferry terminal in Dong Thap Province at the last minute.

 

At the ferry terminal, Vy and Dat received multiple boxes wrapped in black plastic, but their mission was short-lived. Authorities caught them red-handed with 77 kilograms of various narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine. This staggering haul had a potential street value running into millions. In Thai Baht, such quantities are worth several billion.

 

With Vy and Dat in custody, it didn't take long for them to name Quan as the mastermind. But by then, he had vanished, prompting a nationwide warrant for his arrest.

 

In a bid to avoid justice, Quan underwent facial cosmetic surgery to drastically alter his appearance and adopted a new identity, severing all ties with friends and family.

 

However, law enforcement's persistence paid off when they traced Quan to Long Binh Ward in Ho Chi Minh City. Officers noted a suspicious individual resembling Quan despite his surgical alterations.

 

"We relied on subtle details that couldn't be changed," one investigator explained. "His ear shape remained a tell-tale sign." This meticulous attention to detail led them to identify and apprehend Quan while he was commuting on a motorbike.

 

Caught and subdued, Quan confessed his identity, ending his years on the run. He has since been transferred back to Dong Thap Province for further investigation under charges of "illegal transportation of narcotics."

 

Three years before Quan’s capture, the Dong Thap People’s Court had handed down severe sentences to his cohorts. Vy was sentenced to death, and Dat received a life sentence for their roles in the narcotics operation.

 

This case underscores both the lengths criminals will go to evade justice and the relentless determination of law enforcement to bring them to account. The successful apprehension of Quan marks a significant victory in Vietnam’s ongoing battle against drug trafficking.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from VN Express 2025-08-26