Argentine envoy gets pocket picked at Hue festival

[Muthukali]

Hue police have arrested a man identified as Nguyen Uc (circled), suspected of stealing the mobile phone of the Argentina's ambassador to Vietnam.

Police in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have arrested a man who pickpocketed an ambassador during a street carnival at the 2012 Hue Festival.

The arrest was made thanks to another ambassador who took a picture of the act, the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.

Ngo Hoa, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, told a press conference on Tuesday morning the victim of the robbery was Alberto Jaime Kaminker, Argentina’s ambassador to Vietnam.

According to Hoa, Kaminker and his wife were watching the carnival on Le Loi Street on Sunday afternoon when the thief, identified as Nguyen Uc, pickpocketed his mobile phone.

Uc stood between the ambassador and his wife, pretending to take pictures of the carnival with a camera in one hand while the other hand picked the phone, Hoa said.

He, however, was spotted by Jorge Rondon Uzcategui, Venezuela’s ambassador to Vietnam, who was standing on the opposite site.

Uzcategui, while taking pictures of the carnival, captured the moment the thief picked the pocket of the Argentine ambassador.

He then called Hoa to provide the photo, helping local police nab the thief.

Further details including the identity of the thief have not been revealed.