Teenagers caught robbing South Korean couple in Saigon’s backpacker district

Le Ngoc Huyen, 18, and Le Minh Hieu, 19, were cruising the popular backpacker precinct in District 1 on a motorbike when they saw a South Korean couple sitting on motorbike on the sidewalk of Pham Ngu Lao Street. The woman, sitting behind, was using her cell phone.

They sped up and grabbed the phone from 31-year-old Park So Yeon's hand.

Police officers who were tailing the suspects gave chase and caught the two thieves.

After being robbed, the foreign couple left the scene. Police are seeking the South Korean couple to return the stolen phone to them.

Police are seeking the Korean couple to return the stolen phone to them. Photo courtesy of Ho Chi Minh City Police

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest metropolis, is one of the most visited destinations in the country, with seven million foreigners arriving in the first 11 months of 2018.

Recently, Saigon police arrested two men who disguised themselves as women and tricked a Canadian man to join them on their motorbike to celebrate Vietnam’s AFF Suzuki Cup win. They took him into an alley near the backpacker area and grabbed his phone, but were caught.