4 female flight attendants were exploited to carry drugs back to the country

Regarding the case of 4 Vietnam Airlines flight attendants carrying more than 11kg of synthetic drugs discovered in mid-March, on April 26, Ho Chi Minh City Police issued a detailed announcement.

Ho Chi Minh City Police said that they have mobilized many forces from professional departments to coordinate with the police of districts, towns and Thu Duc City. Up to now, the force has investigated the entire drug trafficking ring from France to Vietnam. And after 30 days, Ho Chi Minh City Police have clarified the nature of the case.

To date, Ho Chi Minh City Police have prosecuted 22 cases, with 65 defendants. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Customs

To date, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has initiated 22 cases and prosecuted 65 defendants to continue investigating and clarifying the acts of buying, selling, transporting, and illegally storing drugs, failing to report crimes, and concealing crimes.

Ho Chi Minh City police also took administrative action against 12 people involved.

Police reported seizing nearly 50kg of various synthetic drugs, 2 guns and many other related exhibits.

Seized drug evidence. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police

According to Ho Chi Minh City Police, the authorities have clarified the shipment discovered on March 16 by female flight attendants who were exploited to transport drugs from France to Vietnam. At the same time, they identified 6 more shipments containing various types of synthetic drugs by the same Vietnamese person residing in France, using the trick of hiding drugs in toothpaste tubes, functional food boxes, etc.

The trick is to take advantage of Vietnamese people studying and settling in France who receive international goods collection and express delivery services to transport drugs to Vietnam via Noi Bai International Airport. Then, they use domestic express delivery services to deliver these drugs to a subject in Dong Nai, split them into separate packages, and transport them by road to subjects in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province to continue dividing them into smaller packages and selling them at many locations in Ho Chi Minh City and several other provinces and cities.

In the announcement, Ho Chi Minh City Police clearly emphasized that the above actions were not related to the female flight attendants.

Regarding the arrest and prosecution of 65 subjects, Ho Chi Minh City Police added that they encountered many difficulties because the subjects used many sophisticated coping methods, using technology delivery services to deliver drugs; however, with the spirit of intelligence, creativity, and innovation in thinking in collecting evidence and documents, and courage and determination in the investigation; the mobilized forces participating in the investigation to expand the case focused on verifying and clarifying every single piece of information, no matter how small, to serve the arrest.

The Ho Chi Minh City Police Department recommends that people and domestic and international express delivery service businesses need to raise their vigilance, carefully check the sender's information and the origin of the goods to be transported to avoid being exploited for illegal transportation of drugs; promptly inform the police about packages of goods showing signs of abnormality for handling in accordance with regulations.

At the same time, Ho Chi Minh City Police continue to direct professional forces and local police to investigate and expand the case to handle it strictly, thoroughly, objectively, comprehensively, not to let criminals escape and not to wrongfully convict innocent people; to prevent criminal activities; to prevent and stop people from being taken advantage of by subjects, unintentionally assisting in the illegal transportation of drugs...

Ho Chi Minh City police determined that four female flight attendants were exploited in the case of carrying more than 11kg of drugs from France to Vietnam. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Customs

As reported, at 8:45 a.m. on March 16, through routine cargo screening, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch discovered a shipment of about 60 kg, including 4 suitcases of a group of 4 Vietnam Airlines flight attendants, which was suspicious.

Airport Customs coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and Ho Chi Minh City Police to conduct an inspection and discovered in 4 suitcases, in addition to personal items, a total of 327 tubes of toothpaste (unopened, many different brands, each tube contained in a separate paper box) and 17 bottles of mouthwash. Upon inspection of the above toothpaste tubes, the authorities discovered 157 tubes containing a total of 11,284.57 grams of drugs of various types, Ketamine and MDMA.

Tan Son Nhat Airport Customs Branch transferred the case file and evidence to the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department for further investigation.

Based on the investigation results, on March 21, the authorities met, comprehensively evaluated the collected documents and evidence, and compared the provisions of the law. Initially, it was determined that when the four flight attendants were staying in France, a Vietnamese person asked them to transport consumer goods, including 327 tubes of toothpaste and 17 bottles of mouthwash, to Vietnam via Tan Son Nhat airport to send to their family. These flight attendants did not know that 157 tubes of toothpaste were mixed with and hidden drugs by the subject; therefore, there was not enough basis for criminal prosecution.

On March 22, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department decided to release the four flight attendants.

Initiating 22 cases, 65 defendants in the case of 4 female flight attendants carrying drugs. During the investigation to expand the case related to 4 female flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines carrying drugs to Tan Son Nhat airport, Ho Chi Minh City Police have initiated prosecution of 65 defendants.

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