Three Charged After Renting a Car to Steal 17 Goats

Three men in Vietnam’s Nghe An province allegedly rented a five-seat car and drove to a mountainous commune to steal 17 goats during the night.

The suspects are Đinh Văn Tú, 63, Đinh Văn Sơn, 28, both from Quỳ Hợp commune, and a 17-year-old identified as Tr.V.T. Nghe An police said on Sept. 3 that they had opened a criminal case and charged all three with property theft.

The goats belonged to the family of Vy Thị Hoa in Tam Hương village, Tam Quang commune. The family had gone to the center of the village for a gathering marking the merger of villages and was not watching the animal shed. Police said Tú organized the theft and had previous convictions or administrative records. He was not in the area when officers sought to detain and search him, but later surrendered after officers persuaded him to report to Quỳ Hợp commune police.

Investigators said the suspects planned the theft, rented the car in the former Diễn Châu district, prepared equipment and used tranquilizers to take the goats. They transported the animals to Quỳ Hợp commune and sold them for 32 million dong. Authorities have recovered five goats, while an official valuation placed the total value of all 17 at more than 35 million dong.

Kha Thị Hiền, deputy chairwoman of Tam Quang’s People’s Committee, said residents commonly keep or graze livestock far from their homes, creating opportunities for theft. She described the incident as the largest goat theft recorded in the commune. Local party and government officials rewarded Tam Quang police for their crime-prevention work.