55 people arrested in case of 4 female flight attendants carrying more than 11 kg of drugs

Regarding the case of 4 female flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines carrying more than 11 kg of drugs from abroad to Vietnam that caused a stir in public opinion, sources said that the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department has prosecuted 55 people.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City Police have not yet provided detailed information about the case because they are in the process of expanding the investigation and arresting those involved.

Ho Chi Minh City police have arrested 55 people and are expanding the investigation into the case of four female flight attendants carrying more than 11kg of drugs from France to Vietnam. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Customs

However, according to information sources, the police have initiated 16 cases, with 55 defendants. Ho Chi Minh City police have clarified 7 shipments and seized more than 51kg of various drugs.

As reported, on the morning of March 16, the Tan Son Nhat Airport Customs Branch under the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department inspected the luggage of a group of 4 female flight attendants of Vietnam Airlines when they entered the country from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (France) and landed at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City on flight number VN 10.

Identifying the suspect, the Customs force coordinated with other authorities to take the 4 female flight attendants and their luggage to a separate area for screening and thorough inspection.

Accordingly, in 327 tubes of toothpaste (unopened, many different brands, each tube contained in a separate paper box) and 17 bottles of mouthwash in the flight attendants' luggage, the authorities found 11.4 kg of ecstasy and synthetic drugs, including 8,400 grams of gray tablets, 3,080 white powders, all samples were drugs.

The flight attendants said that while in France, a person (whose identity has not been determined) asked them to "carry" some goods back to the country and paid them more than 10 million VND. Because they were too busy, they only checked a few tubes of cream and did not see anything unusual.

Ho Chi Minh City police have detained four female flight attendants and seized evidence to take their statements.

However, on March 22, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department decided to release four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants and initiated a case of "illegal drug transportation" to investigate and clarify the nature of the case.

Accordingly, the authorities met, comprehensively evaluated the collected documents and evidence and compared them with legal regulations, initially determining: When the 4 flight attendants mentioned above were staying in France, a Vietnamese person asked them to transfer consumer goods, 327 tubes of toothpaste and 17 bottles of mouthwash, to Vietnam via Tan Son Nhat airport to send to their family.

Lieutenant General To An Xo - spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security said: "The flight attendants did not know that 157 of the 327 tubes of toothpaste they were transporting had drugs mixed in and hidden inside, so there was not enough basis to criminally prosecute these people."