R 110908Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5214
INFO AMEMBASSY HANOI 
AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY

UNCLAS HO CHI MINH CITY 001066 
 
 
DS/IP/EAP, DS/IP/OPO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC VM
SUBJECT: CRIME SYNOPSIS FOR HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM 
 
The crime environment in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) remains at a 
significant level.  Petty crime is prevalent in all areas of Ho 
Chi Minh City.  The most common modus-operandi is for thieves to 
utilize motorbikes in their assaults.  Cell phones and purses 
are routinely snatched by motorbike bandits without regard to 
the individual victims.  Case in point, several women with 
infants had their purses snatched by motorbike bandits directly 
outside one of the primary U.S. diplomatic residential housing 
compounds while carrying their infants or pushing a 
baby-stroller.  Petty thieves do target expats and foreign 
tourists simply due to tourist complacency and perceived value 
of expat's personal belongings.  That said, the Consulate's 
Locally Engaged Staff (LES) employees are not immune from these 
criminal acts.  In the past 3 months, LES staff have reported 5 
cell phone thefts and two home robberies.  The most recent 
Consulate employee theft occurred on 12/6/08.  An American 
employee had her purse snatched by a motor-bike bandit in 
broad-daylight while touring in the popular Cholon area of HCMC. 
 
A developing trend worth reporting is the emergence of organized 
gangs of petty criminals.  RSO has received several reports over 
the past 3 months regarding organized criminal elements that 
persuade tourists and expats to go to either Vietnamese 
residences or restaurants and then they are eventually robbed. 
The first type of activity involves naive tourists being lured 
to a local Vietnamese residence for traditional tea or a simple 
card-game.  Once arriving at the residence, the tourists are 
robbed and often beaten if they do not obey the demands of their 
captors.  RSO received first-hand information from a local 
clinic that several Japanese tourists were treated for injuries 
received during an assault after being lured to a local 
residence for tea.  The second type of activity involves 
tourists being lured to local restaurants by tour guides. 
Yesterday, a major Ho Chi Minh City newspaper published an 
article regarding the Vietnamese police arresting members of a 
local gang who targeted unsuspecting foreign tourists and 
expats.  The gang's ring leader allegedly posed as a local tour 
guide and lured expats to restaurants.  Upon arriving at the 
restaurant, the expats were approached by young woman for 
conversation and drinks and the restaurant owner would then 
inflate the bills.  Two expats were charged over $1200 for food, 
drinks, and entertainment, and when they could not pay, they 
were overpowered by the local Vietnamese gang members, and 
forced to go to ATM and withdraw money to cover the inflated 
bills.  Police investigated the scam over a two week period, and 
then arrested the restaurant owner, ringleader and gang members. 
 The ring leader has confessed to 23 separate incidents. 
 
RSO will continue a stringent briefing program and report all 
incidents to the local authorities.  Furthermore, though home 
burglaries have not occurred recently in Post provided 
residences, RSO continues to evaluate the residential security 
requirements due to home burglaries in the immediate vicinity of 
Post-provided housing compounds. 
 
FAIRFAX