Police in Tam Nong District in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have returned gold items and cash worth in total more than VND220 million (over US$10,387) seized from five suspected robbers back to an 87-year-old homeless beggar.

The robbed victim, Nguyen Van Cung, on Tuesday received back a fortune valued at VND217.599 million including VND53.961 million (converted from gold sold by the suspects), 57 gold rings, a gold arm-lace, and a gold necklace, from police in Tam Nong District.

The beggar had previously received VND9.811 million (converted from gold sold by the suspects) from the police so the total money Cung has been returned so far is VND227.41 million.

Cung had earlier told police he had an alleged fortune of 25 taels of gold (worth over $40,000) in his pant pockets stolen while he was sleeping at Tam Nong market in the province on December 21, 2013.

According to Dong Thap newspaper, Cung said the robbers used force to strip his pants off to steal the gold and cash.

Local police arrested five suspected robbers one day after the robbery and seized from them 4.5 taels of gold (worth $7,500), a gold necklace, a gold ring, a gold arm-lace, and VND29 million in cash.

The suspects, including Tran Quoc Viet, 29, Cao Van Sang, 20, Le Duc Duy, 19, Tran Van Thanh Danh, 18, and Nguyen Thai Tai, 18, have been charged with the robbery, according to Thai Thi My Trang, spokeswoman of Dong Thap police department.

Trang said Cung used to live with his descendants in Tan Hong commune but due to a family conflict, he left home and lives by begging at various markets in the province. He used the alms to buy gold and hid them in his pants.