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Two apprehended for allegedly cheating Japanese in Hanoi
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Police in Hanoi have arrested two people, including a taxi driver, for allegedly cheating two Japanese out of more than VND8 million (US$380), VnExpress reported on November 2.

The newswire report quoted police as saying that in October, 38-year-old Nguyen Dinh Hung, who can speak English, invited two Japanese students to Hanoi’s downtown by the taxi of Nguyen Quy Manh, a 25-year-old taxi driver at the Noi Bai Airport.

After passing the airport’s toll booth, Hung told the foreigners that they had to pay VND8 million in fees, police said.

Because the Japanese didn’t have enough cash, Hung told them to withdraw cash from an ATM booth.

According to police, the duo took VND8 million along with 2,000 yen ($25) from the students.

The case is being investigated.

An official from the capital’s police said in VnExpress that several cases with the same scheme have occurred around the airport.

“We are making efforts to stop and hunt down such criminals,” the unnamed official said.

In the meantime, Hanoi’s police are still tracking down a taxi driver who allegedly charged two Singaporeans nearly VND6 million ($285) for a distance of about 10 kilometers, the newswire reported.

The foreigners, who were then attending the Interpol’s General Assembly meeting in the city, also accused the driver of taking an iPhone 4 that they forgot in the taxi.

Thanh Nien News