A court in the capital on Wednesday sentenced the two - identified as Tan Wei Hong, 26, and Cham Tack Choi, 23 - after they were arrested in Hanoi in December 2007, said the state-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

They had tried to use fake credit cards to pay for suitcases and bags worth thousands of dollars in a Louis Vuitton shop, but were caught when a staff member recognised them following earlier fraudulent purchases, said the report.

Hong later admitted to police that he had used fake credit cards to pay for US$17,000 (S$25,200) worth of goods on three previous visits to Vietnam, while Choi said he had fraudulently purchased more than US$16,000 in goods, said VNA. -- AFP