After 3 p.m. on New Year's Day, Nhat, wearing a black mask, a jacket, and a baseball cap, entered a gold shop in the Nhan Co market area, formerly Dak Nong, and asked the owner for advice on "buying wedding jewelry" worth approximately 500 million Vietnamese dong. Throughout the discussion, he repeatedly asked the owner to take out the gold for inspection, then put it back, posing as a meticulous customer.

Finally, Nhat requested to take out all the selected jewelry to photograph and calculate the price.

The owner stated that just as she finished quoting the price, a female customer entered asking for advice. In that brief moment, as she placed the jewelry down, the masked man immediately grabbed it all and fled.

"I screamed 'robber', but he had already rushed out and slammed the door shut," the shop owner recounted. She and a friend ran after him, shouting, but the robber escaped.

Suspect Nhat during the crime. *Photo excerpted from gold shop surveillance camera*

A chameleon-like escape

Within 5 minutes of receiving the report, the gold shop crime scene in Nhan Co commune was sealed off. Commune police immediately blocked all roads and reported to the provincial police leadership and professional departments for coordinated pursuit.

Based on the gold shop owner's statement and footage extracted from surveillance cameras, evidence indicated the perpetrator had meticulously prepared to conceal his identity: wearing a mask, multiple layers of clothing, and disguising his motorcycle license plate. After leaving the scene, he traveled circuitously through many routes, discarding the motorcycle with a fake license plate in a bush in an empty lot, intentionally thwarting police investigation.

The Criminal Police Department of Lam Dong Provincial Police coordinated with commune police across the province to deploy encirclement, ambush, and blockade operations from multiple directions. Traffic police, public order police, and criminal forces from various localities participated in reviewing individuals connected or showing suspicious signs, expanding the search for the suspect.

Through screening, the name Phan Bao Nhat, residing in Nhan Co commune, gradually emerged. However, the pursuit faced many difficulties due to the suspect's sophisticated evasion tactics. According to Major Ta Dinh Son, an officer from the Criminal Police Department, Nhat constantly changed his mode of transportation to avoid detection.

Instead of using his personal motorcycle, Nhat traveled by taxi in short segments. Each time he boarded or exited a vehicle, the suspect chose secluded areas, devoid of residences and security cameras, before taking another ride to leave.

To mislead identification, Nhat wore three layers of clothing simultaneously. Throughout his journey, the suspect continuously changed outfits, altering his appearance and forcing investigators to track every small clue.

Phan Bao Nhat at the police station. *Photo: Le Tien*

Driven by debt

The pursuit lasted until the early morning of 4/1. After more than 50 hours of searching, a task force from the Criminal Police Department of Lam Dong Provincial Police apprehended Nhat while he was hiding on Hung Vuong street, Dak To commune, Quang Ngai province – over 450 km from the crime scene and about 8 km from the Bo Y border gate adjacent to Laos.

At the police station, Nhat admitted to the crime. He stated that in recent years, he had incurred business losses and borrowed money from many sources. Because he had a stable job and his family lived locally, Nhat easily obtained loans, but compounding interest made him unable to repay them.

As Tet (Lunar New Year) approached, feeling his family suffered because of him, trapped in a deadlock, and constantly pressured by creditors, Nhat conceived the idea of stealing property.

"Because of my selfishness and thoughtlessness, I have affected many people," Nhat said, also apologizing to the gold shop owner and the investigating police force.

Phan Bao Nhat is currently being held by Lam Dong Provincial Police for investigation into the act of snatching property.

Evidence from the case. *Photo: Le Tien*

Lam Dong Provincial Police advise residents and businesses dealing in gold, silver, and gemstones to heighten vigilance, protect their assets, and avoid carelessness that could enable criminals.