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Drugs were hidden in bags. Pictured: T.L

“Special” gifts

On 27 and 28 April, the Drug Prevention and Control Team and Express Customs Branch (HCMC Customs Department) participated in Team 6 (Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department), The Investigation Police Department on Drug-related Crimes (the Ministry of Public Security) to examine 16 suspicious packages.

Thanks to witnesses and examination of the “special gifts”they found various method to hide drugs. At first glance, these gifts werethe same as thousands of other gifts completingcustoms clearance through the Express Customs Branch (HCM Customs Department). By professional experience and x-rays of the packages, collected information, customs officers at HCM City department found dozens of suspicious packages.

In the 16 gifts, Customs officers discovered many hidden tricksto hide drugs. The most common is a thin film of ecstasyon double sided tape then stuck tocardboard wall in the compartment of the canvas bags.

Customs officers have to use professional tools to take out the drugs. Pictured: T.H

Expose transportation network

Through control and collection of information, the Drug Prevention and Control Team and Express Customs Branch (HCMC Customs Department)worked with Director of the Department to develop plans to combat the illegal transportation of synthetic drugs from EU countries to HCM City through international post offices, hidden in the form private non-commercial gifts.

Customs officers of the Drug Prevention and Control Team and Express Customs Branch (HCMC Customs Department)implementedchecks, screening and classifying packages sent from the EU through post offices and express centers in Ho Chi Minh City. After investigation, all gift packages as above have fake addresses or no receiver on the bill.To avoid following and finding out, criminals aren’t showing their faces, they use tricks to buy and sell drugs, settle payments through social network, track transportation time and pass customs clearance goods to avoid responsibility once detected.

Thousands of drugswere squeezed in double sided tapeon cardboard. Pictured: T.H

Throughthis plan, HCM Customs Department solved crimes, captured over 18kg of synthetic drugs in pill form,124 grams of cocaine and 458 grams of marijuanain envelopes and candy wrappers, squeezed between cardboard,electronic speakers ormulti-compartment bags.

The values is estimated at nearly VND60 billion. Currently, the Ministry of Public Security and Customs Department at HCM are expanding theinvestigation.

According to Mr Huynh Nam, Leader of Drug Prevention and Control Team (HCMC Customs Department), drugs were sent via express (airway) from many countries as: Belgium, France, Netherlands, to Vietnam with many tactics and tricks declaring the recipient name is not real or very vague. If there is no high vigilance, persistent monitoring, plus synchronous implementation of professional measures by Customs, effective coordination between internal and external units, it will be very difficult to detect and destroy them.