Police in Ho Chi Minh City on November 28 arrested a Korean man who is suspected of murdering and dismembering his compatriot in a rented house in District 7. 

Suspect Jeong In Cheol

Jeong In Cheol, 35, rented a house in Him Lam Residential Area in Tan Hung ward to run a business. He abruptly cancelled the lease on the rented house some days ago.

On November 27 evening, the landlord found a blood-stained pink suitcase left in the toilet on the second floor of the three-story house and reported it to police.

Police then found three large black plastic bags in the toilet on the third floor of the house. The suitcase and black bags contained human body parts.

A blood-stained pink suitcase was found in the toilet of a rented apartment in HCM City on November 27. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)

Two handsaws and a pair of shears were found at the site and suspected to have been used to chop up the body.

The police identified the victim as Han Tong Duk (born 1987, Korean nationality) and the suspect as Jeong In Cheol (born 1985, Korean nationality).

Jeong In Cheol is the director of Creata Vietnam Company and a friend of the victim Han Tong Duk.

At 1:50 pm on November 28, the police arrested Jeong In Cheol at an apartment in Masteri Thao Dien apartment, District 2, and seized the Kia car, which was hired by the victim.

The suspect Jeong In Cheol admitted the crime, police said. He declared that he had gone bankrupt, so he had planned to rob the property of his wealthy friend.

A blood-stained pink suitcase was found in the toilet of a rented apartment in HCM City on November 27. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)

On the evening of November 26, the victim drove his car to see Jeong In Cheol at the man’s company, where he was murdered.

Jeong In Cheol admitted that he intended to make the victim drunk in order to kill him, and took the victim's property worth about VND200 million (over $8,000) and escaped from the house in the victim’s car. He had finished the house rent contract.

Jeong In Cheol had moved to many places in Saigon and then to District 2 to hide at an apartment in Masteri Thao Dien apartment. Over 12 hours after the murder was detected, Jeong In Cheol was arrested 

Jeong In Cheol declared that he was the only one to commit the crime.

The HCM City Police are working with District 7 Police and the Korean consulate to expand the investigation.

Linh An