A former silver medalist in a form of Japanese martial arts living in Ho Chi Minh City has been arrested for allegedly killing a motorbike taxi driver with a fighting technique and stealing from him thereafter.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, 20, is now in police detention for the purported murder of Luu Thanh Son, a 61-year-old motorbike taxi driver residing in District 2, said Major Tran Ngoc Doan, head of criminal police in Binh Thanh District.

Minh has a Singaporean father and a Vietnamese mother, who are now divorced, and is living with his mother and sibling in a tenanted apartment on Nguyen Huu Canh Street in Binh Thanh, according to Major Doan.

The suspect once won a silver medal at an international Jujutsu, a type of Japanese martial art, tournament in Singapore, the police official continued, adding that Minh has encountered some financial difficulties lately, including owing VND10 million (US$448) to a friend.

Son was discovered dead in an alley in the Cuu Long residential area in Binh Thanh by local citizens on February 23.

After gathering statements from locals and evidence from security camera footage, police officers have initially concluded that the incident happened at around 2:10 am on Tuesday, after two men on a red motorbike arrived at the end of the alley, Major Doan said.

Camera footage showed that after a short conversation, Minh, who was riding pillion, used his right arm to strangle the rider, which is a typical Jujutsu technique.

The suspect tried to choke Son three times until the victim finally stopped struggling, taking his wallet, cellphone and motorbike, and left the scene.

After one day of investigation, police identified Minh as the purported murderer, with the victim’s vehicle and other related exhibits also found in the suspect’s apartment.

At the police station, Minh said that he headed to Bui Vien Street in District 1 to have some beer on Monday night, and then hired Son to take him home after midnight for VND30,000 ($1.34).

The motorcycle taxi driver did not follow the right route and got lost in the alley, the suspect stated, adding that Son then told him to pay a total of VND100,000 ($4.48).

As Minh only agreed to pay half of the fare, the two started to engage in a row, with Son ending up being murdered, according to the suspect’s statement.

Jujutsu, with ‘ju’ meaning ‘flexible’ and ‘jutsu’ translated as ‘technique,’ is a Japanese method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent, in which one uses none or only a short weapon.

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