District 1 Police apprehended Tardieu Kerrigan Marcus Trevor, a 24-year-old from New Zealand, and Extrammiana Pablo, a 26-year-old from France, for defacing property with spray paint. The authorities have charged them with engaging in activities not permitted by Vietnamese law and issued administrative sanctions along with the expulsion order.
The incident took place at 11 PM on July 22, when Tardieu was caught in the act of spraying graffiti on a rolling door on Pho Duc Chinh Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward. Extrammiana was found standing nearby, serving as a lookout. Police seized 23 cans of spray paint from the scene and detained both individuals.
![](https://i0.wp.com/vietnamstar.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/two-foreigners-deported-for-graffiti-vandalism-in-ho-chi-minh-city.jpg?resize=499%2C356&ssl=1)
The evidence being confiscated by the police.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Tardieu and Extrammiana had rented hotels in the Nguyen Thai Binh and Suong Nguyet Anh Streets area of District 1. However, their temporary residence was not registered by the hotel owner as required by regulations. The duo met through social media and conspired to vandalize city properties under the guise of street art.
Their graffiti activities were widely shared on social media, which they used to gain attention and create a viral effect, negatively impacting public opinion and the city’s aesthetics. Authorities have classified their actions as an organized violation.
In addition to their deportation, the police have ordered Tardieu and Extrammiana to clean up all the graffiti they created in public spaces. This incident is part of a broader effort by the authorities to address the rising issue of graffiti in the city center, which has seen a notable increase in recent months.
Just last month, District 1 Police fined and required a 28-year-old New Zealand citizen to repaint a resident’s door after catching him in a similar act of vandalism. The local community has expressed growing concern over the frequency of such incidents, prompting stricter enforcement measures from the authorities.
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Source: Vietnam Insider