A 37-year-old man in Vietnam has been arrested for stealing his uncle’s bones from his grave and using them to extort money from his family in a shocking act. South China Morning Post (SCMP)Luu Thanh Nam, a man from Thanh Hoa province in northern Vietnam, tried to extort 5 billion Vietnamese dong ($203,000) from his family to pay off his gambling debts. The deceased has been identified as the father of his cousin, who died four years ago.
according to SCMPThe incident took place on September 9. The 37-year-old man used a shovel to dig a 20 cm hole in his uncle’s grave. He reportedly removed some of his uncle’s remains and hid them in a nearby garbage dump. Then, the next day, he sent a threatening message to his cousin Luu Than Hoi’s wife using an anonymous phone number and demanded payment to return the bones. He also warned that if they contacted the police, they would never recover the remains.
Alarmed by the message, Mr Hoi’s family examined the grave and found a hole in the coffin lid. They immediately informed the authorities.
Following investigation, a 37-year-old man was identified as the culprit. He later confessed to the crime, citing heavy gambling debts as his motive. Police recovered the stolen bones and returned them to the family.
On September 12, Luu Thanh Nam was arrested on charges of grave desecration and extortion, with the sentence not yet disclosed. In Vietnam, grave desecration is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and those found guilty of extortion can face up to 20 years in prison, depending on the amount of money involved.
In Vietnamese tradition, it is considered very disrespectful to damage a grave. It is believed that digging up a grave can disturb the spirit of the deceased, which can also affect the living. Therefore, Mr Hoi reburied his father’s remains according to local customs, so that the spirit can rest in peace.
Meanwhile, the incident has garnered a lot of attention on social media. One user wrote, “Isn’t this man afraid of facing bad karma? He should work honestly to repay his debts.”
Another said, “Stay away from gambling; don’t let money cloud your judgment.”
