Police in the central city of Da Nang have detained two Chinese nationals for allegedly attacking a taxi driver in an attempt to rob the cab.

Local people surrounded the taxi as one suspect still stayed there., Photo: Tuoi Tre

The foreigners, a man and a woman, both young, were held yesterday evening for investigation after the 24-year-old driver, Phan Thanh Doan, reported to police that he was attacked by them.

Doan, a staff member of Tien Sa Taxi Company, told police that on 7 pm Wednesday he was called by his firm’s operator to pick up the two foreigners at a place on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street.

Doan said the Chinese pair, who could speak a little Vietnamese, asked him to drive them around the city.

When the cab reached Truong Chinh Street in Hoa An Ward, Cam Le District, both of the passengers used pointed objects to stab Doan in the head and back many times, he said.

Doan then immediately stopped the car, kicked the cab’s door open and escaped from the vehicle, shouting, “Help! Help!” At this time, the male foreigner also got out of the car and ran away.

After hearing Doan’s shouts, locals chased the foreigner and seized him. They also held the woman, who had remained in the cab.

The young Chinese man who is in custody

Police of Hoa An Ward were called to the scene and they then escorted the two suspects to their office.

The police later confirmed the foreigners to be Chinese nationals.

Meanwhile, the two suspects claimed they were innocent, that they were passengers of a bus who had been left behind, so they hired the car to chase the vehicle.

Due to the language barrier, the driver did not follow their command, thinking the two were robbers, they claimed.

Source: Tuoi Tre