Hanoi - A 17-year-old boy who confessed to killing three people in a robbery in northern Vietnam said he needed the money to play online games, local media reported on Tuesday.
Le Van Luyen was arrested last month over the murder of a 37-year-old man, his wife and 19-month-old daughter at the couple's gold shop in Bac Giang province, said Nguyen Van Du, deputy director of the province's police department.
Police said they discovered gold jewellery and bars worth around 100 000 dollars at Luyen's home.
Luyen he needed the money to play Kiem The a violent video game popular in the country, newspaper Dan Tri quoted police officials as saying.
A few days before the attack, the teenager pawned a motorbike belonging to a relative and used the money to play online games, the newspaper said.
The suspect is also accused of cutting off the hand of the couple's nine-year-old daughter when he attacked the shopowner and his family with a butcher's knife last month.
The Ministry of Health on Monday awarded doctors a certificate of merit after they managed to re-attach the limb.
Police said Luyen will stand trial in October, and could be jailed for up to 18 years.
Online games have received considerable negative media coverage in Vietnam, with many reports linking the pastime with violent crime.
In March, the government attempted to ban online gaming from 10pm to 8am but many internet cafes avoid the restrictions by continuing business behind closed doors. - Sapa-dpa