Noi Bai Customs seizes over 50kg of illegally imported ivory.
The Hanoi Customs Department announced that all seized goods and the two suspects involved in the illegal trafficking of ivory and cigarettes through Noi Bai International Airport have been handed over to the police for further investigation and handling according to their jurisdiction.
Vietnamese customs seized smuggled ivory. (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)
Earlier, at 10:00 AM on July 31st, the Noi Bai International Airport Customs Branch, in coordination with the Department of Criminal Investigation of Economic and Official Crimes (C46) - Ministry of Public Security and Team 1 - Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department (General Department of Customs), inspected eight pieces of luggage belonging to two passengers, Trieu Viet Phong (born in 1984) and Le Ngoc Dinh (born in 1987), and three accompanying children, Tran Linh Trang (born in 2003), Tran Quang Minh (born in 2005), and Van Duc Tung (born in 2011), who entered Vietnam on flight SU290 from Russia to Hanoi, landing at Noi Bai International Airport.
During the inspection, the task force discovered 11 pieces of elephant ivory, weighing a total of 50.2 kg, and 126 packs of foreign-made Marlboro cigarettes, packed in three cardboard boxes, three styrofoam boxes, and a carry-on suitcase.
At the time of customs clearance, passengers Trieu Viet Phong and Le Ngoc Dinh did not declare all the goods and could not present import licenses from competent state agencies or other relevant documents.
The task force immediately drew up a report and temporarily seized all the goods along with the passports of the transporters.
The Department of Criminal Investigation of Economic and Official Crimes has ordered the temporary detention of Trieu Viet Phong and Le Ngoc Dinh for further investigation and handling according to its jurisdiction.
Recently, due to strong consumer demand and very high prices for ivory on the free market, the illegal trade and transportation of ivory by air has been on the rise.
At Noi Bai International Airport border gate, authorities have repeatedly detected and seized cases of smuggling and illegal transportation of this type of goods.
Recently, during immigration procedures for passengers on flight SQ 176 from Singapore landing at Noi Bai International Airport, customs officers discovered Le Van Nam (born in 1986, residing in Hoa Lam commune, Ung Hoa district, Hanoi) and Le Viet Duong (born in 1988, residing in Hoa Phu commune, Ung Hoa district, Hanoi) illegally transporting 26 pieces of elephant ivory, with a total weight of 122.3 kg. The goods were concealed in checked baggage.
According to Vietnam+ - TH
