On Tuesday, Da Nang People’s Committee Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung presented 15 million VND from the city’s budget, and the municipal Department of Tourism Director Ngo Quang Vinh gave 5 million VND from his department, to the municipal Department of Police. 

Municipal Department of Tourism Director Ngo Quang Vinh (left) presenting flowers to a representative from the Department of Police (middle)

The unit’s police officers had successfully arrested 40-year-old Pham Ngoc Hieu from Hai Duong Province who had stolen property from a Vietnamese visitor.

On 3 September, the Vietnamese visitor, who was staying in Room 706 at the Golden Sea 3 Hotel in Son Tra District, left his room key at the hotel’s reception before going to a local beach to swim.  An hour later he returned to his room and found his belongings were missing.

According to the hotel’s security camera footage, whilst the visitor was at the beach, Hieu had dressed in swimwear to impersonate him and asked the receptionist for the room key.  

Failing to notice the different person, the receptionist gave the key to Hieu who then entered the room and stole the visitor’s valuables which were worth over 300 million VND in total.

According to the offender’s confession, he had previously carried out 11 other thefts: 8 in Da Nang and the remainder in other localities, stealing goods and cash worth over 520 million VND in total.

The Police Department has given the offender a 4-month-long temporary detention to allow further investigation, and will prosecute him for stealing property.

Vice Chairman Dung praised the Police Department for their great efforts in arresting the criminal.  He stressed the need for the unit to increase their patrols and checks to ensure security in the city, especially during the 5^th Asian Beach Games (ABG5).  The intention is to ensure absolute safety for the participating delegates, coaches, and athletes at the event, along with domestic and foreign visitors to the city during the period.

He urged the Department to warn local residents and staff members at hotels across the city about any new tricks the criminals are playing in order to help them take proactive measures to prevent any property thefts.