Bar employees seized for robbing foreigner in Vietnam’s HCMC

A group of bar employees resorted to coercion in order to unlawfully obtain money from foreign patrons.

In a concerning incident at Vixens Bar located in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, a group of staff members utilized force to assert control over a patron’s finances after he objected to an exorbitant charge for water.

The Police Department of District 1 has taken legal action against the suspects involved, temporarily detaining Nguyen Dai Tuan Anh (25 years old, from Dak Lak), Tran Quang Trai (27 years old, residing in District 4), and Pham Thanh Dat (25 years old, from Dak Lak, also an employee of Vixens Bar) on charges of robbery.

According to the investigation findings, on the early morning of December 24, 2023, Mr. A.E.R. (an American national) visited Vixens Bar located at 96 Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 for drinks. Upon arrival, Mr. A.E.R. engaged with waiter Ngo Ke Duy (19 years old, transgender woman) for conversation.

As Mr. A.E.R. sat at his table, several employees, including Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung (waitress) and Nguyen Thi Van Anh (shop manager), joined them. The customer ordered a glass of Bombay wine priced at 175,000 VND and tendered 500,000 VND from his wallet to settle the bill.

Subsequently, Van Anh collected the payment from the customer and passed it to Tran Quang Trai (bartender). Trai then handed the money to Nguyen Dai Tuan Anh (bartender and cashier) who, in turn, processed the transaction.

However, Dat, another bartender and cashier, added a cocktail priced at 250,000 VND to the bill, totaling 425,000 VND. The excess amount was returned to the customer, amounting to 75,000 VND.

Meanwhile, Duy and Nhung continued conversing with Mr. A.E.R. and persuaded him to order additional drinks, including water. Although the customer declined, Nhung proceeded to bring two cocktails, along with more water, to the table without consent.

Photo: Olivier Ochanine

Upon seeing three glasses of water, the patron declined further and requested the bill. Nhung prepared a preliminary invoice, which Dat was tasked with finalizing.

The invoice reflected a charge of 1.6 million VND for seven assorted drinks. When the customer contested the bill and attempted to leave, Trai and Tuan Anh obstructed his exit while Nhung, Duy, Van Anh, and Dat pursued him.

Reportedly, Phap, Trai, and Tuan Anh resorted to physical force, compelling the customer to lie down on the ground. They restrained him while he placed 2 million VND on the table and fled.

Following the incident, the victim reported the ordeal to the Ben Nghe Ward Police on January 9. Subsequently, District 1 police initiated an investigation, scrutinizing security footage and summoning relevant individuals for questioning.

Based on the gathered evidence, law enforcement concluded that the staff’s actions constituted robbery. The District 1 police are currently conducting further inquiries to ascertain the involvement and roles of additional accomplices for appropriate legal action.

Furthermore, the authorities urge anyone who has fallen victim to similar acts of robbery at Vixens Bar to promptly contact District 1 Police at No. 73 Yersin, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, District 1, for assistance.

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Source: Vietnam Insider