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Trung
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Group of security guards help foreign tourists cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City |
Last Friday afternoon, Trung Hieu, a security guard at Ben Thanh market’s East gate heard two tourists shouting “Robbers, robbers” from a distance.
On arriving at the scene, he found a Japanese woman in her 20s panicking, crying on her boyfriend’s shoulder.
Hieu and his colleagues quickly followed two bag snatchers riding a Dream bike towards Le Loi Street.
Stopped by locals at the Le Loi- Nguyen Trung Truc intersection, the thieves threw their bike down and ran away.
However, they were soon seized by Hieu and his colleagues.
After getting back the stolen iPhone, the Japanese tourists were happy and kept on saying thanks, Hieu recalled.
Tran Duy Phong, who serves as a security guard for the city’s Voluntary Youth League, said robberies in Ho Chi Minh City have recently become complicated. His team’s duty is to ensure safety, help tourists cross the street, prevent them from being disturbed by hawkers, and keep them alert of street robbers.
“When we see tourists exposing a bag or backpack, camera, or phone in an unsafe way, we will advise them to keep it closer to them to prevent robbery. Also, when spot tourists acting as if they are unsure of something, we inquire and help them to find a solution,” he said.
Phong recalled one day when he was patrolling around the De Tham and Bui Vien intersection, in District 1, when he saw a young man riding an Air Blade grab a female Canadian tourist’s purse. Immediately, he and two colleagues ran after the robber.
An electrician working nearby used a wooden ladder to block the way, causing the thief to fall off his bike. He quickly got up and ran away.
But after being chased to a dead end, the thief started to act innocent.
“I didn’t do anything, why did you follow me?” he asked the guards.
However, the tourist’s wallet in his pants pocket told the story. The thief was soon taken to the Ben Thanh ward police station.
According to Phong, guards from the city’s Voluntary Youth League go on shifts to ensure security for tourists visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Although they have limited English proficiency, these young guards can still carry on basic conversations with tourists.
“The end of the year and the Tet holiday are prime times for thievery around the Ben Thanh market; we cannot be inattentive,” Phong warned.
Recently, many local netizens have spread the story of Doris and Kay, two tourists from Hong Kong who had to sell their own pictures in the city’s Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area after being robbed of all their possessions, including passports, last Thursday.
While sitting on the back of a bike, Doris had carefully put her bag between her and the driver. However, the thief still managed to snatch it and get away.
“Thieves are present in every country, but it was the first time I’ve seen someone riding a scooter and robbing bag at the same time. This is a lesson for me if I return to Vietnam,” said Kay, Doris’s boyfriend.
Nguyen Viet Anh, head of the Travel Division of the city's Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, told newswire VnExpress that robberies targeting foreigners in the city happen frequently and are on the rise.
“We held a meeting with the city’s People Committees and related departments to find solutions to reduce robberies in the city,” he said.
The department will cooperate with local police and tighten security and patrol forces to protect tourists from theft.
It also demands that restaurants, hotels, and travel agencies in tourist areas equip travelers with information on how to take care of their belongings, as well as how to deal with robberies.
“Tour guides should know hotlines to call security guards in the area or local police so that they can find a quick solution for robbed tourists,” he said.
Source tuoitrenews.vn
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