Ho Chi Minh City Customs detected and prevented many sophisticated drug transportation cases

Nearly ten kilograms of drugs were discovered by Ho Chi Minh City Customs in a package sent to Vietnam. Photo: P.N

Continuously detecting drugs hidden in exported goods

Consecutively in the early days of June 2024, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Sub-department discovered and arrested many cases of sophisticated drug hiding in export packages. In the first 2 weeks of June alone, the unit discovered and arrested 3 cases, with more than 6.3 kg of Ketamine and Heroin seized.

Recently, on June 12, 2024, through screening of exported goods at the TCS warehouse, the Export Goods Procedures Team discovered that the packing carton contained a paper box with an electric wax cooker inside. Upon inspection, the Customs agency discovered that inside the wax cooking pot there were a total of 151 tablets containing white powder positive for Heroin reagent, weighing about 1,430 kg.

Previously, on June 6, 2024, also at the above warehouse, through inspection of goods with a scanner, the Export Goods Procedures Team discovered suspicious images from 3 boxes containing 3 car washing machines. Opening the boxes for detailed inspection, the Customs office discovered that inside each machine there was a nylon bag wrapped around the motor's intestines. The nylon bags are carefully reinforced with paper tape, carbon paper and nylon, the innermost layer is Heroin, the total weight of 3 packages is about 1,852 kg.

According to the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Border Gate Customs Sub-department, the subjects took advantage of the open access to export goods and hid drugs very sophisticatedly in objects and equipment to evade the control of the Customs authority.

At the end of May and early June 2024, through goods screening at the SCSC warehouse, the Export Goods Procedures Team discovered two cases of hiding drugs in fryers and cookers.

Specifically, the Customs authority inspected a package containing an oil-free fryer containing 3 black nylon bags of 863.3 grams of Heroin; Checking another package, discovered a metal pot, the pot wall had 2 layers of sealing, inside the pot wall there were hidden 7 nylon bags containing about 3.08 kg of Ketamine.

Proactive delivery with control

After discovering many cases of hiding drugs in parcels, Ho Chi Minh City Customs coordinated with the Police to apply controlled delivery measures to arrest drug transporters.

Many sophisticated drug transportation cases by air and express post have been detected and prevented by Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department. At a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on June 14, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc praised the unit's achievements.

In nearly the first 6 months of 2024, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department presided over and coordinated with competent forces inside and outside the sector to detect and arrest 12 cases of illegal transportation of drugs and drug precursors of all kinds via air route.

Most of them are disguised, hidden in luggage suitcases on immigration or in personal non-commercial imported parcels from abroad to Vietnam; sophisticatedly hidden in export packages, etc.

In recent times, drug criminals have made full use of the form of transactions through domestic and international delivery businesses with circular mandates, fictitious names, and transactions on social network system that causes difficulties in inspection and control by authorities to transport drugs and drug precursors of all kinds to Vietnam.

In May 2024, the Express Customs Sub-department inspected a parcel imported from abroad to Vietnam and discovered that it contained nearly 8kg of drugs (in pill form, blue) packaged and hidden in 6 boxes of candy.

With a sophisticated trick of hiding goods, in order to root out the leader, the Express Customs Sub-department coordinated with the Police to apply controlled delivery methods to arrest the drug transporter.

Using this method, the police discovered two subjects with suspicious behavior; Afterwards, an inspection of the subjects' residences resulted in the discovery of approximately 18 kg drugs of all kinds. Through an extensive investigation, the violator revealed another place where the drugs were hidden. Accordingly, the police continued to arrest 3 more subjects and discovered about 9kg drugs of all kinds.

The Customs agency coordinated with the Police to arrest the consignee

In response to the Action Month for Drug Prevention and Control with the theme in 2024 "Drastic and effective drug prevention and control, enhanced responsibility, proactive coordination - For a drug-free community", Ho Chi Minh city Customs Department has proactively advised on the development and promulgation of Plan No. 1684/KH-HQTPHCM for implementation with many specific solutions, initially detecting and preventing many sophisticated drug trafficking cases.

To improve the effectiveness of coordination and information sharing in drug prevention, in the near future, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department and Hanoi Customs Department will co-organize a conference to study and exchange experiences on drug prevention. The fight against drugs aims to continue promoting and improving the effectiveness of drug control and prevention, especially through the air route between the two largest international airports in the country.