Case of smuggling gold via Noi Bai international airport: Prosecute 6 accusers

Gold of the case.

Those arrested people are: Chu Thanh Long (was born in 1990, permanent address is Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi; currently lives in Quang An, Tay Ho district, Hanoi; he has a history of using drugs); Le Trung Khanh (was born in 1961, lives in Kim Mã, Ba Dinh, Hanoi; he is uncle of Chu Thanh Long); Le Thi Ngoc Mai (was born in 1973, lives in Dien Bien, Ba Dinh , Hanoi, she is younger sister of Le Trung Khanh and Long’s aunt); Nguyen Anh Tuan (was born in 1959, lives in Dong Nhan, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi; has 2 convictions for robbery; he is step father of Chu Thanh Long); Bui Xuan Thanh (was born in 1969, lives in Buoi Ward, Tay Ho district, Hanoi) and Hoang Van Thang (was born in 1973, lives in 266 alley, Doi Can street, Cong Vi Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi).

Previously, at 8:00PM on 25/8, the working group of Anti-smuggling and trading prohibited goods, the Police Division on Economic Management Order and Positions (PC46) Hanoi City Police in coordination with the Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch (Hanoi Customs Department), to inspect 5 passengers on flight number TG564 from Thailand to Vietnam.

As a result, the competent force discovered many plastic bags which were hidden inside the body of 5 subjects. There were a yellow metal, white in the form of jewelry suspected of gold including bracelets, necklaces, earring,… contained inside those bags without declaration. Total weight of that suspected jewelry was about 28.54kg.

As known that, those subjects confessed that, at 8:45 PM (Vietnam time) on 20/8, Long, Khanh, Tuan, Thanh, Thang leave Vietnam via Noi Bai International Airport to Thailand, on the flight number TG565. On 21/8, Long, Khanh continued to fly from Thailand to Hong Kong (China) for taking gold jewelry. At 12 o'clock on 25/8, Khanh and Long flew back from Hong Kong to Bangkok (Thailand). All the gold was hidden by wrapping around the body and then they took a flight number TG564 from Bangkok to Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam. When they went to customs area, the subjects did not do customs declaration procedures for the amount of gold hidden in their bodies. Thus Customs authority coordinated with Police investigation agency to arrest those people.

Furthermore, the subjects also claimed that they have successfully transported gold jewelry from Hong Kong to Vietnam for several times. Accordingly, Chu Thanh Long was 7 times; Le Trung Khanh was 10 times; Nguyen Anh Tuan was once; Bui Xuan Thanh was 7 times and Hoang Van Thang was 4 times. Additionally, the subjects were paid 10 million VND / person/trip, then transported gold to Le Thi Ngoc Mai’ house.

Based on the testimony of the subjects, the police investigation has made an imperative inspection at Le Thi Ngoc Mai’s house. The competent forces seized some documents, 480 million vnd, $US 20 thousand and about 8kg of gold jewelry.

After conducting an assessment at the Doji Jewelry and Jewelry Institute, the total volume of gold jewelry is 18k gold, total weight is 36.29kg.

Hanoi Police Investigation agency has issued a warrant for imperative arrest 6 people, prosecute the criminal case on charges of smuggling; prosecute the accusers. Currently, the Hanoi Police Investigation agency is expanding the scope of the investigation.