Police and rescuers surround the body of a bag snatcher who jumped into a canal in Ho Chi Minh City to escape the police on September 30, 2014 and drowned. Photo: Thanh Van

A bag snatcher drowned after jumping off of a bridge as he attempted to evade police in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday morning.

Police successfully took his accomplice into custody.

The two robbers sped through several streets before they ditched their motorbike on Vo Van Kiet, also known as the East West Highway, and jumped into the Tau Hu canal.

Huynh Van Thanh, 25, according to the ID card found on his body, drowned.

A large crowd gathered on both sides of the canal to watch divers recover his topless, tattooed corpse.

Police have not yet released the identity of his accomplice.

According to eyewitnesses, the men had staged a traffic accident to catch a motorist on Tan Da Street, in District 5, before grabbing her bag.

Criminal police officers heard the woman’s screams and chased after them.

They are investigating further.