Hanoi man steals 9 smartphones from temple goers

Police in the Tay Ho District have arrested Chu Van Dung, 30, with property theft charges.

Dung told police that he had taken advantage of the situation in which many people flock to Tran Quoc Pagoda on the morning of Monday, the second day of the Lunar New Year, to pickpocket the phones from people’s jackets and bags.

The pagoda, the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, lies on a small island near the southeastern shore of the West Lake. During the Tet holiday, the pagoda usually draws huge crowds who come to pray for peace and happiness.

On Monday, Dung pickpocketed nine phones. In each of the cases, he turned off the phone and removed the SIM card immediately to cover his tracks.

He was caught holding the nine phones when leaving the pagoda on Monday afternoon.