Police in Hanoi have recommended that a ring of five Columbian nationals who robbed victims of cash shortly after they left banks or gold shops be charged with theft, officers said on Friday.

The foreign thieves are Fabian Lucero Wilches, Jersain Ladino Cardona, Jose Aureliano Rosas Pena, Luis Alexander Rodriguer Cuevro, and Carlos Alberto Lamprea Pena, according to police.

The group’s headman, Fabian has been identified as having committed many serious thefts in other countries.

These Colombians met each other while traveling in Laos and Cambodia, and decided to come to Vietnam to steal money from people when they leave banks or gold shops, Hanoi police said, citing their investigation conclusion.

On February 17, Fabian, Jersain, Luis arrived in Vietnam through the Cau Treo Border Gate located in the north-central Ha Tinh Province, and took a passenger bus to Hanoi, where they would meet Jose.

On February 22, the four began hunting for victims around various streets in Hoan Kiem District on two motorbikes.

They then found a Vietnamese man, later known as Nguyen Van Ng., entering a gold shop on Ha Trung Street, with his car parked outside.

Fabian approached his car and punctured one tire with a knife.

Ng. then left the gold shop, putting some money to the car and drove away, not knowing that he was followed by the thieves.

While Ng. was having his tire replaced at an auto repair shop on Hang Tre Street, the group managed to steal VND105 million (US$4,630), 10,000 British pounds and various pieces of gold jewelry weighing 112.5g.

The knife used by the group in their thefts is seen in this police photo.

After their first successful attempt, the group left Vietnam for Laos with Fabian, Jersain, and Jose re-entering Vietnam on March 11.

During their stay in Ho Chi Minh City, the three met Carlos and asked him to join them in the next theft in Hanoi.

On March 28, using the same technique, the four Colombians stole VND1.6 billion ($70,560) from Pham Van B. shortly after he had withdrawn the cash from a bank on Vu Trong Phung Street in Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi.

On March 30, Fabian and Jose were captured in the north-central Quang Tri Province while the others were busted later in other places.

According to the thieves’ testimonies, they had carried out many other thefts in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, China, and several countries in Europe and South America.

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