Thousands of diamonds seized in airport smuggling bust

Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs check smuggled diamonds

According to the Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch, through risk management, focusing on specific flight routes and high-risk commodities such as gold, diamonds, and gemstones, as well as coordinated plans with the Economic Police Division (Ho Chi Minh City Police), Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has proactively implemented specific measures and plans.

As a result, numerous cases of illegal goods transportation have been detected and prevented by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs in recent times.

Specifically, at 6:30 PM on October 25, 2024, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs, in collaboration with the Economic Police Division, Ho Chi Minh City Police, the Customs Enforcement Team, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the Southern Region Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit (Unit 3), Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department, and Tan Binh District Police, discovered and seized another large-scale diamond smuggling case.

In just 3 days, authorities discovered and seized over 1,000 smuggled diamonds.

Through luggage screening, the Import Luggage Customs Procedures Team detected suspicious images in the luggage of Mr. D.A.K, an Indian national, arriving from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City. This led to a key inspection.

The inspection revealed 15 nylon packages containing 362 diamonds, concealed in a very sophisticated manner. The subject had hidden the diamonds at the bottom of two candy boxes, covered with real candy, and then carefully packaged them to resemble ordinary candy boxes, in an attempt to evade airport authorities.

However, the subject's actions were promptly detected and seized by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs and the Economic Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police.

Subject D.A.K, Indian nationality, entered from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City to smuggle diamonds.

Previously, at 9:00 AM on October 23, 2024, based on information from Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs and the Economic Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police, and through luggage screening images, the Import Luggage Customs Procedures Team detected suspicious images in the luggage of P.S.H (Indian nationality) arriving in Vietnam from India.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch and the Economic Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police, in collaboration with the Customs Enforcement Team, Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, the Southern Region Anti-Smuggling Enforcement Unit (Unit 3), Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (General Department of Vietnam Customs), and the Tan Binh District Police inspected and discovered in P.S.H's luggage numerous small paper sheets with the IGI logo and 10 nylon packages containing 716 diamonds hidden in a wallet mixed with personal clothing.

Diamonds are cleverly hidden in candy packages.

During questioning, the subject admitted that the small particles in the 10 nylon packages were diamonds, transported from India to Vietnam to be delivered to a customer, but without declaring them to customs as required.

Preliminary inspection results by the Customs authorities determined that the goods illegally transported by P.S.H included 716 natural and artificial diamonds.

The smuggled diamonds were sealed by Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs and handed over to the police.

Thus, within just 3 days, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch, in proactive coordination with other forces, has discovered and seized over 1,000 smuggled diamonds, worth tens of billions of dong.

For both cases mentioned above, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has handed over the person and evidence to the Economic Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City Police for further investigation as per regulations.