Police arrest 65-year-old drug queen said to be one of Vietnam’s most elusive crime bosses

Police have finally arrested a 65-year-old alleged drug boss after she managed to evade capture for years.

Vũ Hoàng Oanh was reportedly one of Vietnam’s biggest ‘drug queens’ with Interpol issuing a warrant for her arrest.

However, despite the best efforts of authorities, Oanh - who is also known as Oanh Hà - spent years as a fugitive on the run.

Oanh is believed to be the criminal mastermind behind a drug trafficking operation that saw hundreds of kilos of heroin, ecstasy and methamphetamine enter into Vietnam from the ‘Golden Triangle’ - the area where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.

The drug was first busted back in May 2018, where seven arrests were made and large quantities of drugs - including 100,000 ecstasy tablets and 30 kilos of methamphetamine - were seized.

However, prior to the bust Oanh had already skipped the country and would remain on the run for another four years - and, according to authorities, continued with her illegal trade.

Following her fleeing the country, Interpol issued an international arrest warrant on charges of illegal drug trafficking.

Hai Phong City People’s Committee

The Vietnamese ministry of public security’s official newspaper this week reported that Oahn hid packages of drugs inside car engines before moving them to warehouses.

The operation that led to Oanh’s capture was a major one - lasting more than five weeks across September and October and involving more than 100 cops and soldiers.

In total, 29 people were arrested and more than 130 kilos of drugs were seized, Vice reports.

Among those arrested was Oanh, police have now said, confirming the arrest took place on September 23.

Oanh is the elder sister of Dung Ha - an infamous mafia boss who died when was assassinated by fellow high-profile criminal Năm Cam.

Interpol

According to the BBC at the time, Cam and Ha had previously worked together, with the former hoping Ha would help him run his illegal, underground gambling dens.

However, something happened between the pair to cause a rift and Ha attempted to create her own gang - once even sending Cam a box full of rats to his restaurant in an attempt to upset him.

Cam is then said to have ordered Ha’s execution - her body was found with a gunshot through the head in 2000.

Cam was arrested and charged for the killing and was later convicted and sentenced to death.

Topics: World News, Crime, Drugs

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.