On 19/11, Sinh, 43, residing in Dong Ngac ward, is being held by Hanoi Police for property theft. Since the age of 19, Sinh has accumulated six previous convictions, all for theft.

Nguyen Tien Sinh at the investigative agency. Photo: Police provided

Recently, Sinh had been living in a temporary dwelling under Thang Long bridge, without a stable job or income. In the early hours of 12/11, he rode his motorbike through several wards in Hanoi, searching for a house that appeared vulnerable to theft.

Upon passing a row of adjacent villas in the An Vuong area, Duong Noi ward, Sinh parked his motorbike in a hidden corner and proceeded on foot. Noticing a villa with a low fence, he climbed over it, went to the back of the house, and used a knife to pry open a door to gain entry.

According to the police, Sinh used his phone's flashlight to search for valuables from the first to the third floor. The homeowner was asleep at the time. After a search, he took two piggy banks from a bedroom, brought them down to the first-floor kitchen, and broke them open with a knife.

The scene of the theft. Photo: Police provided

The two piggy banks contained approximately 200 million Vietnamese dong. Sinh put the money into a backpack and fled.

The two piggy banks held two years' worth of savings belonging to the homeowner's child.