Five kilos of meth bound for Australia seized in HCMC

By Quoc Thang November 13, 2021 | 10:00 pm PT

Methamphetamine found hidden in a candle being sent to Australia from HCMC, November 13, 2021. Photo by HCMC Customs

Local authorities discovered five kilos of methamphetamine hidden in scented wax in the form of candles being sent to Australia Saturday.

They have launched an investigation into what they believe are operations of a transnational drug ring.

The meth was found in a package weighing 16 kilos, along with clothes and kid's toys. It was being sent as a gift to an individual in Australia from someone in HCMC.

The bust was a cooperative operation by the city's customs and police departments.

A senior HCMC Customs Department official said that since the beginning of the year, the department has detected and arrested more than 50 drug trafficking cases, seizing a total of 150 kilos of different kinds of drugs.

Vietnam is a key trafficking hub for narcotics despite having some of the world’s toughest drug laws.

Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of meth face the death penalty.