Australian tourist detained in Vietnam after taxi driver’s death in dispute over $10

VIETNAMESE police have detained an Australian tourist after a dispute over a $10 fare allegedly led to the death of a taxi driver.

VIETNAMESE police have detained an Australian tourist after a dispute over a $10 fare allegedly led to the death of a taxi driver.

The incident happened in Tan Binh District, near the airport in southern Ho Chi Minh City, police said.

After a dispute over 200,000 dong ($10) there was an altercation that led to the cabbie’s death later in a hospital, said the officer from Tan Binh investigative police, who gave his name only as Tien.

He said the Australian was detained the following day and remained in custody Saturday while investigations continued.

Tien could not identify the Australian national, but the website of the Thanh Nien newspaper named him as 68-year-old Rolfe Darrell Alexander.

The Australian embassy in Hanoi referred inquiries to Canberra, where a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, “We are offering consular assistance to an Australian in Ho Chi Minh City and providing assistance to the man’s family in Australia.”

Police were awaiting more medical details of how the driver died, Tien said.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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