An Iranian man, Pous Moshtaghhossein, 50, was arrested on Friday in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) for allegedly stealing nearly $3,000 from a Russian couple using a sleight-of-hand trick. He now faces theft charges, according to District 1 police.
The theft occurred on September 27 when Russian tourist Dmitry Strizhakov, 39, and his wife were shopping on Hai Ba Trung Street. Moshtaghhossein approached them and started a friendly conversation.
During the conversation, Moshtaghhossein pulled out U.S. dollar bills from his wallet and began discussing the differences between old and new bills. Expressing curiosity about Russian rubles, he continued talking, claiming he could not tell the difference between them.
As Strizhakov took out a U.S. dollar bill and a stack of Russian rubles to show Moshtaghhossein, the latter discreetly directed his fingers toward Strizhakov’s wallet. While continuing the discussion, Moshtaghhossein secretly stole several bills from it.
When Moshtaghhossein walked away, Strizhakov checked his wallet and found that 25 $100 bills, three €100 bills, and one €50 bill were missing. Strizhakov immediately reported the theft to the police.
Authorities tracked down Moshtaghhossein, who was renting an apartment in Thu Duc City, and arrested him for the theft.