Saigon crossdresser grabs crotch, steals phone from Chinese tourist

Nguyen Thanh Tay, 31, who’d been under the police eye for sometime, caught their attention as he was riding his motorbike around the central District 1.

They saw him get off and approach two inebriated Chinese tourists. Tay pretended to flirt with them, touching their genitals while he stole an iPhone from one man’s pocket. The tourists were unaware that they’d been robbed.

Tay fled on his motorbike after stealing the phone, and the policemen watching him gave chase. He was caught and taken to the police station for further questioning.

"We have been following [Tay] for a long time," an unnamed police officer said.

Nguyen Thanh Tay at a District 1 police station. Photo by VnExpress/Quoc Thang

The iPhone was returned to the Chinese tourist.

Last year, Saigon police also arrested two cross-dressing men who snatched a cell phone from a Canadian while celebrating Vietnam’s AFF Suzuki Cup win.

Saigon, Vietnam's largest metro, is one of the most visited destinations in the country, but street crimes, especially those targeting foreign tourists, continue to be a problem.