Vietnamese teen gang arrested for robbing foreigners in Hoi An

The police said Thursday that Tran Van Quang, 18, Dinh Phuong Son, 17, Le Dinh Thong and Tran Huu Phuoc, both aged 16, were involved in at least four bag snatching incidents during the Lunar New Year Tet festival last week, when the town is usually very peaceful.

Police said Thursday that Son and Quang, on a motorbike, snatched a handbag from a Dutch woman while she was riding a bicycle on February 6. Four days later, the duo carried out a similar robbery, this time snatching a handbag from a Chinese woman. The bag had VND3 million ($128) in cash and a cell phone.

On Monday, Thong and Son, snatched a handbag from a Frenchwoman in Cam Chau Ward. The bag contained $30 and VND500,000 in cash.

The same day, Thong, Quang and Phuoc rode a motorbike and grabbed a backpack from a Serbian man walking on Hai Ba Trung Street. The backpack had two cell phones and VND1 million in cash.

After receiving reports of the robberies from the foreigners, police officers captured the four thieves Tuesday as they prowled the streets for more unsuspecting prey.

Hoi An, which bans motorbikes and cars from the city center during certain hours, is one of the top holiday destinations in Vietnam, regularly winning plaudits from global travel magazines.