Police in Ho Chi Minh City are investigating the theft of 2,417 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes, worth a combined VND1.5 billion (US$64,176), bound for export to South Korea.

Authorities suspect a trucker was behind the crime.

The suspect quit his job after the theft, which was uncovered on January 1 this year, investigators said on Wednesday.

On December 6 last year, Kingmarker Footwear Co. Ltd. packed 3,335 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes into 421 cartons and made customs declarations in order to ship them to South Korea, according to a police report

The combined product and shipping costs were valued at VND2.1 billion ($89,610).

Van Xuan International JSC was then asked by Kingmarker to arrange a trailer truck to transport a shipping container filled with the batch.

On December 7, a Van Xuan Company trucker visited Kingmarker Company to pick up the shipment to transport it to Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City.

However, on December 30, Kingmarker was informed by its South Korean buyer that the shipment was 2,417 pairs of shoes short.

The trailer trucker used a fake Class FC driving license and bogus dossiers to gain employment at Van Xuan Company, according to the investigation results.

He claimed to be Nguyen Tan Hung, a 31-year-old resident of Dong Nai Province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City.

He was accused of stealing the missing shoes.

Authorities suspect that 'Hung' colluded with others to break the shipping container seal and steal the shoes while he was transporting them to the port. 

'Hung' and his accomplices then allegedly used a special method to reseal the shipping container in order to avoid detection by customs officers.

The driver quit his job after the theft and his whereabouts remains unknown.

Police began cracking down on a container cargo theft ring in January this year.

Notably, the ringleader went by the alias Nguyen Tan Hung, 31, from Dong Nai Province in order to apply for a post as a trucker at IPAX Logistic Company in Binh Tri Dong B, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Members of the ring used super glue 502 to reseal shipping containers after stealing cargo inside.

Police are currently hunting for 'Hung' and have released a discription which identifies him as weighing about 60 kilograms, being short, hefty, and of slightly curly hair. 

They also say he has a central Vietnamese accent.

Those with information linked to the theft should contact the Police Investigation Agency by visiting 459 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cau Kho Ward, District 1 or calling 0779031012 to reach investigator Le Van Sang.

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