Foreigners perform 'magic tricks' to rob people in Saigon.
After their attempt to swap the money failed, the Pakistani suspect snatched the wad of cash and fled in a car with his accomplice. Pursued, they got out of the car and escaped on foot.
On August 1st, Ho Chi Minh City police issued an arrest warrant for Murtaza (27 years old, Pakistani nationality). This suspect is believed to be the ringleader of a gang of foreigners who committed robberies in District 1.
According to the investigation, on the evening of July 9th, Ms. Pham (27 years old) was selling blankets, pillows, etc., on Bui Huu Nghia Bridge (Da Kao Ward, District 1) when a Toyota Vios car stopped. Two foreign women got out, pointed at the goods, and said something that Ms. Pham did not understand.
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| The foreign suspect is being pursued. Photo: Police |
A few minutes later, another foreign man got out of the car, pointing at a pillowcase and seemingly wanting to buy it. Ms. Pham handed over the item and received a 500,000 dong note. While she was giving him the change, the man kept talking, gesticulating, and struggling with the wad of money. Then he waved his hand, indicating he wasn't buying, and drove away. Upon checking, Ms. Pham discovered that 17 million dong (in 500,000 dong notes) was missing, so she chased after him on her motorbike, shouting for help.
Seeing the vendor running behind them, when the car stopped at a red light near Ba Chieu market (Binh Thanh district), the group opened the window and threw a wad of money out. Many passersby picked it up for Ms. Pham, but only managed to get 3.2 million VND. Taking advantage of the chaos, the car sped away.
A couple who witnessed the incident secretly followed the car and reported it to two traffic police officers from the Tan Son Nhat team. Knowing they were being pursued, the group fled to Pho Quang Street (Tan Binh District), where they abandoned the car and escaped on foot.
Police in District 1 determined that Murtaza had rented the Toyota Vios from someone in Tan Phu District. Following this lead, police discovered the suspects were staying in District 7, but when they went to the hotel, the owner said they had left on June 12th and had not paid for their room.
From the images retrieved from the documents, Ms. Pham identified Murtaza as the person who robbed her of her money.
* The victim's name has been changed.
According to VNE
