Police in the central resort town Hoi An have arrested two men accused of committing a series of robberies in the usually peaceful town.
Duong Chien Thang, 19, and Nguyen Khanh Huy, 18, are the prime suspects behind at least six robberies involving tourists in Hoi An this month, a police report said, as cited by local media on Wednesday.
The two have admitted to several bag snatchings, including one involving a Japanese tourist who was carrying an iPhone and nearly $100 in cash.
Street crime is uncommon in Hoi An, which is known as one of the most peaceful towns in Vietnam.
The once busting trade port now draws tourists to its picturesque wooden houses, pagodas, street-side eateries and hundreds of tailor shops.
A travel forum run by U.S. magazine USA Today described Hoi An two years ago as one of the 10 most beautiful places in Southeast Asia, a place where one can find “tranquility and timelessness.”
The town, where motorbikes and cars are banned from the center, received 3.22 million visitors in 2017, up 22 percent from the previous year, including 1.78 million foreigners.