A man and his family members in Hai Phong City, who acted against a forced removal decision yesterday, shot and injured six police officers who were executing the decision to withdraw 40 hectares of land from the family for an airport project.



Before the forced removal was carried out, Tien Lang district authorities had sent notices, documents, and the schedule of removal to Do Van Vuon, 49, of Vinh Quang Commune, eight times, but he ignored them and defed the officials, local police said.

Vuon leased the land from local authorities 20 years ago, and he has not returned it since the lease expired several years ago. In addition, he has not paid taxes related to his aquaculture activities carried out on the land for a long time, the authorities said.

Vuon and his relatives fled after they used shotguns to injure Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Mai, head of the Tien Lang District Police; Major Le Van Ghi, Captain Vu Anh Tuan, Lieutenant Dao Trong Dung, and Sergeants Hoang Van Phong and Do Xuan Truong on Thursday morning.

Before the shooting, Vuon had detonated a homemade mine as a warning to two police officers who were entering a garden on his premises. Luckily, the explosion caused no casualties.

After that, the six-member team, led by Mai, came to Vuon’s house, requesting him to stop his acts against the law enforcement force, and began to execute the forced removal of his 40 hectares of land for the project to build Tien Lang International airport.

Ignoring Mai’s request, Vuon and a few other people in the house used shotguns to shoot at the officers, seriously injuring them.

The injured were taken to Kien An Hospital for treatment, and Captain Tuan was later transferred to the Viet Tiep Friendship Hospital due to his critical condition.

At noon, when another police force arrived at Vuon’s house, they found that he and his family had escaped.

The police seized many knives, pincers, a pair of binoculars, and two LPG cylinders that were connected to a detonator in the house.

The police are hunting for Vuon and his accomplices.

Tuoitre