Police in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City seized dozens of packets of cannabis from a foreign man at 23/9 Park in the city's downtown on Friday night.

A police task force patrolling downtown Ho Chi Minh City found a group of foreigners gathering at the park in District 1 on Friday night and asked them to disperse.

A group member was not able to produce any identification document upon closer administrative inspection and was asked to follow the officers to a police station for identity verification.

However, he abruptly broke into a run into nearby Alley 241 on Pham Ngu Lao Street in an apparent attempt to flee the law enforcement officers.

The police officers were eventually able to pin the man down after a chase through several alleys.

The officers then inspected his scooter and found 27 packets of cannabis in the vehicle's storage compartment.

At the police station, the foreign man admitted the stash of cannabis is his.

The foreign national, together with the confiscated illegal substance, have been handed over to police in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1 for further investigation.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana or American weed among other names, is a psychoactive drug that can be used for medical or recreational purposes.

Illegal stockpiling of cannabis is a criminal offense in Vietnam punishable by between one year and life behind bars depending on the amount of the drug involved.

Packets of cannabis are found inside a foreign man's scooter in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 10, 2020. Photo: Dan Thuan / Tuoi Tre

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