On 21/4, the Da Nang City Police Criminal Investigation Department arrested Pham Minh Khoa, 38, residing in Thanh Khe ward, to investigate property snatching.

Khoa is a lottery singer with the Hoang Hong An traveling lottery troupe. According to the investigation, around 3h on 19/4, Shulha Dmytro, a 45-year-old Ukrainian national, was walking at the To Hien Thanh - Nguyen Cong Tru intersection in An Hai ward when Khoa approached him on a motorbike and snatched his Samsung A25 phone, valued at over 6 million VND.

Pham Minh Khoa upon arrest. Photo: Thanh Huynh

Recognizing the incident's negative impact on Da Nang's tourism image, criminal police collaborated with local authorities to review potential suspects.

On the morning of 21/4, detectives arrested Khoa at the lottery troupe located on Hoang Sa street. Khoa has one prior conviction for property theft and was released from prison in 4/2025.

At the police station, Khoa confessed that after his performance on the evening of 18/4, he borrowed a colleague's motorbike to commit the snatching. He sold Shulha Dmytro's phone for 1,6 million VND.

The stolen property has been recovered. Authorities are completing procedures to prosecute and temporarily detain Khoa.

Ngoc Truong