Fake cop preying on foreigners in HCM City nabbed

Dang Tuan Thanh, 21, and at least two of his accomplices, had confronted several foreigners, claiming to be police to check their papers, and eventually robbed them of their money and assets.

As he is able to speak English, Thanh did successfully dupe some foreign victims into thinking he was a real anti-drug officer, with a fake police badge that reads, "Certificate Police Office On Drug Crime".

This photo of the fake cop has been widely shared on Facebook to raise warning against him

Sensing that police were hunting him, Thanh, who used to work as a motorbike taxi driver, left his house on June 13 but police still managed to track and catch him.

The fake cop confessed to having made seven successful cases of confiscating assets of foreigners in Ho Chi Minh City.

Police found the motorbike he used in committing the robberies, nine bags, two watches and three bags of meths at his house. Thanh said he would sell all of the robbed assets to buy meths.

Many expats, who were preyed, or almost fell victim to Thanh, wrote about him on several Facebook pages to warn others of the fake cop.

Police have also watched over Thanh after receiving many complaints from his victims.

One of them is a 20-year-old British tourist, who was confronted by the fake cop when he was riding his girl friend back home on Dien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District.

Thanh spoke to them in English, introducing as a Vietnamese police officer who wanted to check their papers, before forcing them to pay a fine for traffic violation at gunpoint. As he had no money, the foreigner was forced to go with Thanh to an ATM. The fake cop eventually left with VND8 million (US$358) and the phone of the British victim.

On May 26, the fake cop also stopped a 43-year-old Japanese visitor who was doing exercise on Thu Thiem Bridge in District 2. Thanh asked the Japanese to provide papers as he was suspected of being a criminal, only to steal his iPhone 6.

With similar tricks, Thanh robbed a Dutchman of his iPad, camera, video camera and VND2 million ($89) when the foreigner and his friend were traveling on Dong Van Cong Street in District 2 on May 31.