Ho Chi Minh City police have defined two foreigners responsible for vandalizing a train on Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) in the Long Binh depot area. The main suspect, Ilyevsky Sergray, a 30-year-old graffiti artist from Belarus, was accompanied by an individual whose background remains unknown.
The investigation revealed that Ilyevsky Sergray had entered Vietnam on three times, with his most recent arrival on April 27th. Police later discovered that he had left for Singapore on May 3rd. Authorities are currently conducting further inquiries into the case.
A concerning surge in acts of vandalism and trespassing has been observed in Ho Chi Minh City recently. It is believed that these incidents are influenced by the global graffiti movement, a popular form of street art.
On April 30th, a large graffiti piece, spanning over 3 meters and adorned with vibrant colors similar to street graffiti, was discovered on a Metro Line 1 train. Notably, Ba Son Bridge (Thu Thiem 2) had also fallen victim to graffiti last July, requiring the use of specialized solvents for complete removal.
To address this growing issue, the Ho Chi Minh City Police have instructed the Long Binh ward, situated in Thu Duc City, to intensify patrols, particularly in residential areas surrounding the depot.
Additionally, authorities have urged project investors and managers to install additional surveillance cameras and enhance lighting infrastructure as preventive measures.
The Metro Line 1 project was originally approved in 2007 with an initial investment of over VND17 trillion ($725.6 million), and its completion was initially set for 2018.
Due to various bottlenecks, the project’s estimated investment was revised to VND43.7 trillion ($1.9 billion), and completion was postponed to the last quarter of 2021, then to the end of 2023. Currently, the project is 94.55% complete.
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Source: Vietnam Insider