Man robs temple's gold for lover's birthday gift

A tael equals 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces.

Nguyen Da Thuan, 30, was detained by police from the northern border province's Huu Lung District for theft on Monday.

At 1 p.m. on June 13, Thuan entered Cong Dong Bac Le Temple in Tan Thanh Commune dressed up as a temple-goer, according to investigators.

He secretly removed the threshold of a door, before entering the holy site's common area.

That night, he made off with five taels of gold and VND5 million ($196.40) in cash, worth a combined total of around VND380 million.

Thuan fled through several localities, including the northern provinces of Bac Giang, Hai Duong and Nam Dinh, as well as the port city of Hai Phong in Quang Ninh Province.

There, he boarded a bus to central Vietnam, and finally to Ho Chi Minh City.

Once in the southern metropolis, Thuan tried to purchase a passport so he could flee abroad.

At 11 p.m. on June 21, he was arrested at a hotel in Go Vap District.

Thuan admitted to his crime, saying he sold the gold to three shops in Hai Phong and Hai Duong for a total of VND227 million. He used some of the money to purchase a motorbike for his lover as a birthday gift. He spent the rest on himself.