Pickpockets who targeted foreigners in HCMC seized   For illustration only.Wikipedia Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested 10 members of a pickpocketing gang that targeted foreigners in the city’s downtown areas and a person for consuming property acquired by these pickpockets. The gang confessed that it had carried out 70 pickpocketing cases in the city.  The pickpockets were led by Tang Thi Thuy Trang, a 37-year-old woman of District 4, and a 50-year-old man, Chau Van Nhieu, of District 7. After a time of investigation, an anti-social crime police team arrested Trang and Nhieu and seven other pickpockets at 3 am on February 14, on Bui Vien Street in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1. The seven detainees included Ho Ngoc Quan, 21, Luu Hong Ngoc Huong, 21, Pham Thanh Trung, 47, Nguyen Thi My Van, 33, Huynh Minh Sang, 24, Nguyen Thanh  Hai, 41, and Huynh Thi Phuong Tuyen, 30. From their testimonies, police later seized another member of the gang, Nguyen Cong Tai, 43. Police also arrested Dang Van Thai, the owner of Tien Phat mobile phone on Ton Dan Street, Ward 15, District 4, for consuming property acquired through the commission of crime by other persons. After being arrested, Trang and Nhieu told investigators that they had committed about 70 pick-pocketing cases in the city, mainly in the city’s downtown areas including District 1, and they often targeted foreigners. Whenever they found a potential “prey”, some female members of the gang will surround the victim offering to sell chewing gums, stamps, cell phone recharge cards, or other items. They even offered to provide sex to male foreigners.  Meanwhile, some other members secretly approached the victim and took away a mobile phone or a wallet from him or her. According to the pickpockets’ confession, one of the cases was one that happened at 2 am on February 6, when Nhieu carried Trang and Tuyen to Bui Vien Street, District 1 on the motorbike to hunt for a prey. When finding a foreign man walking, Trang and Tuyen came over to the man and held him their arms. Tuyen then pickpocketed an iPhone 5 from the man and she and Trang rushed to Tuyen and escaped on the bike. A similar case occurred at 3 am on February 13 on the same street, when five members of the gang pickpocketed three iPhone 5 cellphones from three Cambodian people. Police are expanding their investigation to identify the victims of the gang. TUOITRENEWS