Desperate for kids, woman claims after kidnapping newborn

Binh Duong police arrested Tran Thi Ngoc Tham on Sunday to question her for "abduction of people under 16 years old."

She had admitted herself to the Binh Duong General Hospital last Saturday, claiming her delivery was due. But doctors found out that she was not even pregnant and sent her packing.

Before leaving the hospital, she impersonated a nurse by wearing a stolen blouse and told the family of a two-day-old baby in the neonatal ward that she had to take her upstairs for vaccination.

When the family asked to join her, she refused, citing hospital "policy," and told them to pick up the child after one hour.

Tran Thi Ngoc Tham kidnaps a newborn baby as captured in security camera footage at Binh Duong General Hospital, Nov. 4, 2023.

Then she put the baby into a bag and left the hospital for her apartment in Dau Tieng District 40 km away.

She lied to her husband's family that the girl was hers.

The police tracked her down the same day and rescued the child at around 10 p.m. and safely returned her to her family.

Speaking to the police, Tham said she has an ovarian cyst, which has caused "several miscarriages."

She herself is desperate to have kids, and her husband's family also expects her to give birth soon, she said.

Tran Thi Ngoc Tham speaks to the police in Binh Duong Province, Nov. 5, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Yen Khanh

Earlier this year she had lied she was pregnant and the baby was due in October.

Her "plumpness" had allowed her to easily pull the wool over people's eyes, she said.

The police said Tham's story has many holes and they would continue to investigate.