On November 29, Ms. Olga (Russian nationality) was walking in front of a hotel on 44 Tran Phu Street when a youth on motorbike flew past and snatched away her handbag containing a mobile phone, 1,600 Russian rubles (51US$), US$1,500, a camera, and two gold necklaces.
After the robbery was reported, local police investigated and identified Hoang Ngoc Tri, residing on Trinh Phong Street as the robber and arrested Tri.
On 2pm the same day, Ms. Kenedy Bulloch (UK nationality) was riding on bicycle on Bo Ke Street in Nha Trang when two young men snatched away her handbag with a camera inside.
After hearing shouts for help, police arrived in time, chased after the robbers and arrested them. The two men are Vu Quoc Viet and Nguyen Van Chien.
More foreign victims: Irish, Australian …
Just eight days ago in Nha Trang on November 21, Rooney Kim, a 23 year-old from Ireland, had her bag robbed by three women while she was on her way back to a hotel after celebrating her birthday party at the beachfront Sailing Club.
The female robbers became angry when they found no money in the bag, and proceeded to beat Ms. Kim up, forcing her to the ground.
The victim said she was very disappointed in Nha Trang’s security, although she had earlier been eager to visit the beautiful sea and beach there.
One day later, on the 22nd, Heather Claire Wymer, a 30-year-old tourist from Australia, reported to police that she lost an iPhone 4 after she arrived in Nha Trang from Hoi An together with her sister at 5:00am.
Two xe oms (motorbike taxi drivers) appeared and offered to drive the women to some of the city’s familiar hotels.
Wymer asked the drivers to take them to a hotel on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street where they had already booked a room.
After stopping at Sinh Café, Wymer gave the men a VND50,000 note and asked them to split it between themselves, but the drivers argued about the money, demanding to be paid separately.
Five minutes later, she realized her iPhone4 had vanished. She believed that she had been pick-pocketed by the xe om drivers.
She said the two men have short hair, brown skin, and are aged between 25 and 30.
Then, a receptionist at the Tay Bo Lo Motel (Backpackers Motel) said a total of seven foreign visitors have been robbed since September.
Within the first two weeks of November, six tourists from Russia were reportedly robbed.
On the morning of November 10, a Russian tourist named Natalia was hit in the face by a group of men trying to grab her handbag while she was walking on the beach with a friend.
Nha Trang is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist hotspots well-known for pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving.