Ho Chi Minh City police help Turkish tourist recover lost iPhone

Police in Go Vap Ward confirmed they had successfully traced and returned an iPhone 14 Pro Max belonging to 39-year-old Erden Ergunsah, after he reported losing the device during a taxi ride.

The phone contains important personal and work-related data.

According to Cong An TP.HCM (Ho Chi Minh City Public Security) newspaper, Ergunsah arrived at the Go Vap Ward police station around 8:00 pm on Sunday, visibly distressed.

He told officers he had misplaced his phone while traveling by ride-hailing taxi from An Hoi Tay Ward to Go Vap Ward.

Having only recently entered Vietnam and unfamiliar with local roads, he could not determine exactly where or when the phone went missing.

Captain Tran Minh Tan, the duty officer, calmed the tourist and carefully reviewed his travel route.

The information was immediately reported to Lieutenant Colonel Tran Minh Tuan, deputy chief of Go Vap Ward police, who directed officers to handle the case without delay.

Based on professional assessment and investigative experience, Lieutenant Colonel Tuan concluded that the phone was most likely left inside the ride-hailing vehicle.

Officers quickly mobilized, reviewed travel details, and identified the taxi later that evening.

A police search of the vehicle found the iPhone on the rear seat.

After being informed, the taxi driver cooperated fully and voluntarily brought the phone to the police station for handover.

Ergunsah later wrote a letter thanking Go Vap Ward police officers for their professionalism and dedication.

The tourist said that the assistance he received was a memorable experience and that he would share the story with friends after returning home.

The case is one of several recent incidents in which Ho Chi Minh City police have helped residents and visitors recover lost property.

Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper reported that on December 23, officers in Saigon Ward helped a Vietnamese woman retrieve a Canon camera worth about VND20 million (US$760) after she left it in a ride-hailing car.

In another case the same day, police in Tan Dinh Ward returned a Samsung phone found at a busy intersection to its rightful owner, a 21-year-old Vietnamese man.

Earlier incidents also involved foreign visitors.

In late October, officers in Saigon Ward assisted Booth Carly Marie, an American tourist who lost her phone after arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, successfully locating and returning the device within a short time, Znews reported.

Police officials said such efforts are meant to protect property, support public safety, and contribute to a friendly image of Ho Chi Minh City among international visitors.