Police in Ho Chi Minh City have detained two local young men for snatching a mobile phone from a Chinese national who was taking photos on a street on District 10 yesterday.

The arrested thieves are Phan Ngoc Bao, 26, and Tran Thanh Toan, 24, both from District 10, who stole an HTC G10 mobile phone from Liang Yong Cong, a 40-year-old Chinese man.

At 3:20 pm Wednesday, a police task force from the city Police Department followed Bao and Toan, who were behaving suspiciously.

When the young men reached Nguyen Kim Street in Ward 6, District 10 they drove near Liang. They then snatched the phone from his hands and sped away.      

The police team chased them, and with the aid of a traffic police officer and a motorbike taxi driver, seized them when they reached 3 Thang Hai Street, District 11.

The team handed over Bao and Toan, along with their motorbike, to the police of Ward 6, District 10, for investigation and handling.

According to Liang’s interpreter, the Chinese man had recently arrived in Vietnam to conduct a market survey on electronic products.

In order to improve the protection of local residents and foreigners, HCMC Police late last year set up 34 patrol teams to operate around the clock on streets and in areas vulnerable to crime.

These teams are composed of members from the traffic police, task force and mobile police.

At the same time, in a move to encourage residents to actively take part in combating robberies, the city police have also suggested that city authorities give a VND5 million (US$240) reward to anyone who seizes a robber.

The city police have advised that people, including foreigners, should be vigilant when carrying or using expensive devices on streets and should report any security problems to police.

Travel companies must alert foreign tourists about the common tricks employed by robbers and snatchers and give them proper instructions to cope with thieves and save their belongings, police said.