Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs: Preventing many sophisticated drug trafficking cases

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Drug seized by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs

Hiding drugs in the body

Considering that the situation of illegal transportation of drugs by air is one of the key routes, which will increase during the holidays, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has deployed many solutions to inspect and control the area and has detected many cases of drug transportation with very sophisticated tricks.

At the end of August 2024, at the security screening and customs inspection area for passengers and luggage of departing passengers, during the customs procedures, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch discovered 3 male passengers departing to Korea with suspicious signs, so the unit coordinated with other forces to conduct a key inspection.

Through inspection of the hand luggage of these three passengers, the Customs agency did not detect any illegal goods. However, after a quick consultation, the Customs officers decided to invite the three above-mentioned passengers into the inspection room to coordinate with the inspection forces. As a result of the inspection, the Customs agency discovered a large amount of drugs inside the passengers’ underwear. In total, there were nearly 1.6 kg of ketamine and MDMA tablets. These drugs were divided into small pieces and wrapped in nylon bags attached to the underwear.

However, this sophisticated trick did not escape the eyes of the Customs officers. Immediately, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch handed over the suspects, all the evidence and case files to the Drug Crime Investigation Police Division (PC04), Ho Chi Minh City Police.

Previously, in the early morning of July 26, 2024, at gate 2 of the security screening and customs inspection area for passengers and luggage of departing passengers, customs officers discovered a male passenger, of Korean nationality, doing exit procedures to Seoul - Korea with suspicious signs. Immediately, officers of the Export Baggage Procedures Team, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch requested the male passenger to bring his luggage to the key inspection room.

Under the witness of a representative of Asiana Airlines, customs officers conducted an inspection and discovered that the male passenger was hiding on his body two nylon packages with a total weight of 163.2 grams, suspected to be drugs.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch coordinated with the Drug Enforcement Team - Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department to take samples from the above nylon package for quick testing. The results of the quick test showed that the sample was positive for drugs. Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has handed over the entire violation case to PC04 Division - Ho Chi Minh City Police for investigation and handling according to authority.

Export packages contain drugs

In addition to the situation of passengers transporting drugs, the method of hiding drugs in export packages is also thoroughly exploited by traffickers.

In early August 2024, when checking 67 pairs of khaki pants in two packages exported to Australia, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch discovered drugs cleverly hidden in each waistband.

According to Customs officers, on August 2, 2024, an employee of an express delivery company opened a customs declaration to carry out procedures for exporting a shipment to Australia as a personal gift. The shipment consisted of 2 packages with 67 pairs of long pants and 20 shirts.

By means of professional inspection and experience, Customs officers discovered unusual signs from these khaki pants. Following suspicious signs, the Customs discovered that each waistband was inserted inside a nylon bag (each strip was about 2.8cm x 70cm) containing drugs, weighing about 5.9 grams. There were a total of 67 nylon bags inserted into the waistbands, and the Customs seized about 3,939 grams of drugs.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, this is a very sophisticated new method of hiding drugs. The subject divided the drugs into small pieces, disguised the waistbands and mixed them in export packages, in order to deceive the authorities.

Previously, three packages (27kg) were checked, packaged in carton boxes for export to Australia. On the customs declaration, they were declared as: Suyui brand car wash machines, quantity: three units. Through screening, the Customs discovered three carton boxes containing three car wash machines, brand ZUKUI. Inside each machine, there was a nylon bag wrapped around the motor core. Each nylon bag consists of three layers (paper tape, carbon paper, nylon), the innermost layer contains a white powder suspected to be drugs; weighing three packages is about 1,852 g (including packaging). Sampling for rapid testing with reagents gave positive results for Heroin.

With the synchronous implementation of the plan, along with drastic solutions, from the beginning of 2024, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has seized 11 cases of illegal drug transportation. The seized evidence is nearly 20 kg of various drugs.