A young taxi driver in Hanoi was put Thursday night in police custody for snatching a mobile phone from a Finnish woman after failing to overcharge her and her husband earlier the same day.

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The capital city’s police arrested 23-year-old Nguyen Xuan Viet, hailing from northern Phu Tho Province, a taxi driver at Hanoi-based Bac A Taxi Company, at 8:45 pm after he took away an iPhone 5 from Mrs. Mari Susanna, 48, a Finnish national in Tay Ho District.

The foreign woman and her husband, who stayed at a hotel in the district, earlier took a taxi cab with number plate 30A-203.37, driven by Viet, from Hai Ba Trung Street in Hoan Kiem District to Nghi Tam Street in Tay Ho.

Upon arrival at the destination, Viet asked his foreign guests to pay him a charge of VND200,000 (US$9.4) while the taximeter on the cab showed a much lower amount: VND80,000 ($3.8).

The Finnish nationals refused to pay the requested charge, and eventually got off the cab and walked along the street.

Viet then drove his cab alongside the foreigners and suddenly snatched an iPhone 5s from the hand of Mrs. Mari Susanna.

Viet sped up and fled while the foreign woman and her husband were shouting loudly for help.

A patrol police team of Tay Ho District, with the support of some local residents, pursued the dishonest cabbie and arrested him soon later.

Police recovered the phone to return it to Mrs. Mari.

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