Hu YongChao points to where he hid the knife believed to have been used in the killing. — Photo courtesy of the police

HCM CITY — Police in HCM City have arrested a Chinese national suspected of killing a foreign man at a hotel and attempting to flee the country, authorities said on Sunday.

The suspect, identified as Hu YongChao, 34, was detained by immigration police at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport while preparing to board a flight to China.

Investigators said the arrest followed a rapid manhunt launched after the body of a foreign man was discovered earlier the same day at a hotel on Street No. 33 in An Lạc Ward.

Criminal police from the city’s PC02 unit alerted airport authorities, who located the suspect at a café in the international terminal using security camera footage before moving in to detain him.

During questioning, Hu allegedly admitted to the killing and led investigators to the knife believed to have been used in the attack, which had been hidden near an eatery.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. — VNS