The relocation is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year, Major General Le Hong Nam, director of the city police department, said at a recent press briefing.

T30 in Pham Van Coi Commune is currently being renovated, he said.

Chi Hoa Prison is an octagonal building spread over seven hectares with cells, watchtowers and lands farmed by the prisoners.

It was originally built by the French Indochina colonial government in 1943 to replace Maison Centrale at the corner of Ly Tu Trong and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Streets.

It has for long been considered one of the most secure prisons in Vietnam with only two successful breakouts in its history.

But Nam said it has now deteriorated badly and holds more inmates than it is designed for, affecting its security.

Currently, the plan to use the land of Chi Hoa detention center after relocation has not yet been disclosed.

Khuong Van Muoi, a former chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects, said after the prison is evacuated authorities should use the land to build public projects since the area has a high population density.