On October 1, the provincial police confirmed that investigators had executed a search warrant at Tuan’s residence in Quai To commune. Authorities identified Tuan as an individual frequently posting charity appeals on Facebook, claiming to raise money for disadvantaged students, poor households, and struggling families in mountainous provinces.

Cơ quan Công an đọc lệnh khám xét khẩn cấp trước sự chứng kiến của chính quyền địa phương.jpg
Police officers read an urgent search warrant in the presence of local authorities. Photo: CACC

According to police, on September 23, they received a formal complaint from H.T.G., a resident of Dien Bien Phu ward. The woman stated that she had repeatedly transferred money in response to Tuan’s fundraising appeals on Facebook. However, she became suspicious when the use of funds was not disclosed transparently, raising doubts among donors about whether the money truly reached the intended beneficiaries.

Investigations revealed that since December 2016, Tuan had established a network of social media accounts dedicated to fundraising. These included his verified Facebook account “Nguyen Manh Tuan,” an account under the name “Nguyen Tuan” with 149,000 followers, and another page called “Lang tu Tay Bac” (The Wanderer of the Northwest). He also operated multiple bank accounts, all under his name.

Despite receiving significant contributions, police allege that donations were not disbursed accurately or fully to the causes Tuan promoted. Authorities are now continuing their investigation into potential violations of charity and financial regulations.

Duc Hoang