Police raid famous restaurant in Saigon

All four hundred civilians present were hauled away in police vehicles. Twenty of them tested positive for having used illegal drugs.

Poc Poc on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street is one of the city’s most popular clubs and often features foreign dancers.

Used balloons containing laughing gas at Poc Poc restaurant on February 5, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Nhat Vy

The late-night dance club attracts hundreds of customers every day despite its alcohol and food at exorbitant prices, according to those in the know.

Just as the club filled up with revelers Sunday night, police barged in and observed customers inhaling laughing gas (nitrous oxide) from balloons.

At two warehouses next door to the establishment, authorities found more than 60 laughing gas cylinders, dozens of packs of hookahs and cases of hard liquor.

Police also found that Poc Poc had failed to meet State-required safety standards and to show licenses for trading some certain goods.