A thief who was caught on camera snatching the purse of a woman when the victim was posing for a photo in downtown Ho Chi Minh City during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday earlier this month has been arrested, police said Monday.

Thach Thanh Tuyen, 24, who hails from the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, was apprehended after having been on the run for two weeks, according to officers under the municipal police department.

On the afternoon of February 3, a woman was taking a photo with her family members near the intersection of Thi Sach with Cao Ba Quat Streets in District 1 when Tuyen rushed in to snatch her handbag.

The cameraman of the family photo snapped the picture right at the moment Tuyen got his hands on the bag.

The picture, with the bag snatcher’s face clearly visible, went viral on social media before it was submitted to police officers to assist their investigation.

Thach Thanh Tuyen is arrested by police officers on February 18, 2019 in this photo supplied by officers.

The victim is a Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) who arrived from Singapore to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which began on February 5, with her family in Ho Chi Minh City.

After stealing the item, Tuyen ran toward his accomplice, who was waiting on a motorbike, and fled the scene, Dan Tri online newspaper quoted the victim as saying.

She added that the handbag contained more than SGD2,000 (US$1,473), her credit card, and other important personal documents.

According to officers, Tuyen left Ho Chi Minh City after committing the crime.

He recently came back to the metropolis and was nabbed as he was staying at a hotel in Binh Chanh District.

Police have expanded their investigation as Tuyen’s driver was also arrested.

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