Long-term fugitives apprehended in Vietnam

Authorities in Vietnam have apprehended two women who had been evading justice for several decades.

In October 2026, Lê Thị Nhàn, 50, surrendered to police in Hanoi after 30 years on the run. Nhàn was wanted for “buying and selling women” in Thanh Oai district in 1996. During her time as a fugitive, she reportedly traveled to China and used aliases to avoid detection. Local police successfully persuaded her to surrender by explaining legal leniency policies.

Separately, Nguyễn Thị Tuyết, 69, was arrested in Lâm Đồng province after 43 years of evading authorities. Tuyết had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 1979 murder and robbery of a friend, Phạm Thị Phước, to steal a gold necklace and earrings. She escaped from the Kim Sơn Reformatory in Gia Lai province in 1983.

During her decades of evasion, Tuyết assumed the false identity of Trần Thị Bích Liên, claiming to be born in 1962. She settled in Lâm Đồng, where she established a family, including a husband, children, and grandchildren, living as a normal citizen. On October 16, 2026, authorities from the Quảng Ngãi Provincial Police successfully apprehended her, and she has since been transferred back to Quảng Ngãi to face legal proceedings.