Bui Dinh Khanh, 31, who has been arrested after fatally shooting a police officer during a major drug raid in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on the night of April 17, 2025. Photo: Supplied
Khanh, a native of Quang Ninh’s Ha Long City, was apprehended while hiding near a bus stop in Dong Hai Ward, Thanh Hoa City.
The arrest followed a coordinated operation by the Thanh Hoa police department and local law enforcement units after intelligence suggested Khanh was heading to the area by bus.
Police had previously launched a manhunt and set up roadblocks across key routes in and out of the province.
Initial investigations revealed that Khanh was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking ring led by Nguyen Huu Dang, a 58-year-old resident of Ha Long City.
At around 8:20 pm on Thursday, Dang was caught red-handed with 16 bricks of heroin near the Dragon Castle apartment complex in Ha Long.
As police expanded their operation, Khanh and a group from northern Phu Tho Province attempted to escape.
During a confrontation near the Dai Yen toll station in Quang Ninh, members of the gang opened fire with an AK rifle in a violent attempt to free a captured accomplice.
The attack resulted in the death of Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Dang Khai, a narcotics investigator of the Quang Ninh Province police department.
Following the shootout, authorities seized 16 heroin bricks, two military-grade firearms, a grenade, three cars, and other evidence.
Several suspects were quickly captured, including Ha Thuong Hai, Ha Quang Son, and Hoang Van Dong.
Khanh, who fled the scene, was later charged under Article 251, Clause 4 of Vietnam’s Penal Code for illegal drug trafficking. He is also being investigated for his role in the fatal shooting.
