Ho Chi Minh City police arrest suspect in South Korean tourist bag snatching within 3 hours

The suspect was Tran Minh Tri, 31, from Vinh Long Province.

According to police, at around 7:45 pm on Tuesday, Lee Jae Young, a 43-year-old South Korean national, was walking past 61 Pham Van Buong Street in Tan Hung Ward when a man riding a motorbike approached and snatched his handbag before fleeing the scene.

The incident happened so quickly that Lee was unable to react.

The stolen bag contained VND12 million (US$457) in cash and an expensive mobile phone storing important personal data.

Following guidance from local residents, Lee reported the incident to Tan Hung Ward Police.

After receiving the report, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Thang, chief of Tan Hung Ward Police, reported the case to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security and directed officers to coordinate with the municipal criminal police in investigating the case and recovering the victim's property.

Officers identified the suspect as a man in his 30s who fled along Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard toward the area of the former Binh Tan District.

Police said the search became more difficult as the suspect repeatedly attempted to evade detection by traveling through deserted roads and narrow alleys in An Lac and Binh Tri Dong Wards.

At around 0:30 am on Wednesday, officers arrested Tran Minh Tri on Ten Lua Street and recovered the property of the South Korean tourist.

A background check showed that Tri had two previous convictions for snatching.

During questioning, he said that he had no money for daily expenses and had been wandering around the streets in Tan Hung Ward looking for opportunities to target victims.

Lee expressed his appreciation for the Vietnamese police, saying their professionalism, strong sense of responsibility, and attentive support from the moment they received his report deeply moved him.

He said that after the incident he had been very worried, but the officers' dedication restored his confidence. 

Recovering his belongings, he added, also reinforced his sense of safety and peace while in Vietnam.