The information was revealed by the force at a press conference in the city on July 5.
According to Major General Phan Anh Minh, Deputy Chief of the city’s Police, a big explosion occurred on June 20 at a police station in Tan Binh district, injuring one officer and damaging some property.
After over 10 days investigating, the city’s police, in coordination with their counterpart from the neighbouring province of Dong Nai, arrested seven suspects.
They seized nearly 10kg of TNT explosives, as well as other materials used to make explosives, together with eight explosives to be used for similar attacks.
After his arrest, Nguyen Tuan Thanh – born in 1990 – confessed that his father Nguyen Khanh – born in 1964 and residing in Trang Bom district, Dong Nai province – told him to make explosives with remote activation detonators. Both admitted to having close relationships with Ngo Hung, the self-proclaimed commander-in-chief of the Viet Nguyen dynasty, currently residing in the US.
Hung appointed Khanh as Governor of the Dong Nai autonomous region and Thanh as Major General. Afterwards, Hung transferred 120 million VND (5,214 USD) to Khanh and assigned him to organise the production of explosives which would be detonated at police stations.
Following Hung’s order, Khanh assigned his nephew, Duong Ba Giang – born in 1971 and residing in Dong Nai province – to make the explosives. Thanh was responsible for supporting Giang.
After receiving two bombs created by Giang, Khanh handed them to Vu Hoang Nam – born in 1996 residing in Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City – and asked him to detonate them at police stations without clear addresses.
On June 20, Nam threw two bombs into the police station at Ward 12 in Tan Binh district, injuring himself in the process.
Khanh gave another bomb to Nguyen Xuan Phuong – born in 1988, residing in Bien Hoa district, Dong Nai province – and asked him to create a blast at Tam Hiep police station in Bien Hoa district. However, Phuong left the bomb in a deserted location, falsely reporting back to Khanh that he had successfully planted it but that it may have failed to blast.
Khanh told the police that he bought explosives from a group of people in Dak Mil district, Dak Nong province. On the basis of this, the police arrested three more suspects. However, they said they did not know Khanh would use the explosives for terrorist purposes.
According to the investigation authorities, the reactionary Viet Nguyen dynasty group has enlisted several people to disturb public order in Ho Chi Minh City, filming and posting the incidents on social networks, with many further events planned.
The police are expanding the investigation to arrest more suspects.
Speaking at the press conference, Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan asked the police to continue collecting more evidence relating to the case, as well as coordinating with other countries to prevent terrorism.
He urged relevant agencies to increase communications to raise public awareness of legal obedience and spread a thorough understanding of the Party’s and State’s policies to promptly detect and prevent terrorist plots.
