A court in Hanoi has just sentenced 23-year-old Pham Van Sam, who ripped off two Singaporean delegates to the 80th Interpol Assembly meeting in Hanoi last October, to five years behind bars on previous charges of “theft” and “illegally taking private property of others”.

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The victims were Chen Ang Dani (male) and Than Sha Pen (female) whom Xuan forced to pay VND6 million (US$286) for a ride of just 10 kilometers that should have been only VND150,000 (US$7.1).

The cheating occurred at 8pm on October 28 , 2011 when the victims took a taxi with license plate number BKS 30K-6476, belonging to Phu Gia taxi company, after having a meal at Ngon restaurant, a popular eatery for foreigners at 18 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hoan Kiem District.

They were driven from Phan Boi Chau Street to Hanoi’s National Conference Center and eventually had to cough up US$200 and SGD100 (roughly VND6 million in total).

The victims said that following heated argument over prices, they negligently left over an Iphone 4 that has been missing since.

Xam took the Iphone to his hometown to use. Three days later, he travelled to hide in Dak Nong Province over 1,000 km from Hanoi where he was arrested on November 6 by nearly a dozen police from the Ministry of Public Security and Hanoi criminal police while he was harvesting coffee.

The 80th Interpol General Assembly was kicked off in Hanoi from October 31, 2011 and concluded on November 3, 2011.

After the case was out, chairman of Hanoi Transportation Association Bui Danh Lien said a number of taxi operators have condemned that the driver’s act negatively affected Vietnam’s national image and demanded an inspection into Phu Gia taxi company.

Source: Tuoitrenews