~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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Police arrest deputy of notorious Vietnamese mafia

Police in southern Vietnam have arrested the No. 2 man in the country's most notorious underworld gang after he spent nearly three years evading authorities, state-controlled media reported Wednesday. Nguyen Van Tho, better known as "The Captain," was arrested Sunday as he climbed onto the back of his mistress' motorbike in front of a cafe in Dong Nai province, the People's Police newspaper said.

Tho is the nephew of Truong Van Cam, or Nam Cam, the former kingpin of Ho Chi Minh City's underworld and the star of the communist country's biggest-ever criminal trial last year. Nam Cam was convicted of murder and bribery and was executed by a firing squad in June. Tho went into hiding in January 2002, when police issued a special arrest warrant for him. The mob was exposed, leading to a trial with 155 defendants, including police officers and high-ranking government officials. Four of those associates also were executed. Tho allegedly ran a large gambling network for his uncle and was wanted for the murders of a police officer and another man in Ho Chi Minh City, the paper said.

It was unclear when Tho would be brought to trial. The Communist Party has made cracking down on widespread corruption a top priority. Several high-ranking state-owned company officials have recently been sacked for financial wrongdoing.

The Associated Press - August 18, 2004.