Last Saturday, Nguyễn Hữu Đạt, a 24-year-old driver, was pulled over by traffic police in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District for a traffic violation. — Photo ttvn.vn

Last Saturday, a 24-year-old driver was pulled over by traffic police in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District for a traffic violation.

Nguyễn Hữu Đạt jumped out of his car and attacked the policeman, leaving him slightly injured.

He then got in his car and drove away, only to be stopped by another policeman nearby. This time Đạt grabbed a golf club from his car and hit the cop, whose colleagues subdued and arrested him.

At the police station, Đạt said he was under treatment for depression and claimed a drug he was taking resulted in uncontrolled behaviour. He showed his patient record as proof.

However, the police called Bạch Mai Hospital, where doctors denied that the drug has behaviour altering effects.

If Đạt is found to have lied, he could face up to three years in jail.

Wanted: professional thief

Last month, an unlucky resident of the central province of Nghệ An’s Quỳnh Lưu District came to the local police station to report a robbery.

His house had been broken into and his safe stolen. He said it had contained nearly VNĐ100 million (US$4,399) in cash, 14 taels of gold, 8,000 Japanese yen and several saving books worth more than VNĐ1 billion ($43,990).

Several days later, the police found and arrested the culprit.

Nguyễn Văn Mười, 43, a resident of Anh Sơn District, admitted the theft but insisted he took only VNĐ37 million ($1,627) in cash from the safe.

He said he had carried the safe to a deserted area 70 kilometres away from the victim’s house, and punched a hole in it to take the money out. Thinking there was nothing left, he threw the safe into a nearby river.

Rushing to the area, police salvaged the safe from the riverbed. The money, gold and saving books were still there, albeit slightly soggy.  – VNS