Taiwanese man seized at Saigon airport attempting to smuggle military arsenal

By Quoc Thang   August 20, 2017 | 07:45 pm PT
The man was busted transporting gun stocks, bullet shells and used NATO military uniforms.

Customs officials in Ho Chi Minh City detained a Taiwanese man on Sunday for illegally transporting military equipment.

The 31-year-old man was arrested while he was checking in for a flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Kaohsiung in Taiwan after customs and airport security officials saw him acting suspiciously.

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Military equipment seized from the Taiwanese man. Photo courtesy of Tan Son Nhat Airport customs.

A luggage check uncovered 79 new gun stocks, 2 military transmitters, a gas mask, M79 and AR15 bullet shells, grenade shells, military rucksacks and used NATO military uniforms.

The import or export of seized military equipment is illegal in Vietnam.

Police are still investigating the case.

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Used NATO military uniforms were among the items seized. Photo courtesy of Tan Son Nhat Airport customs.

Vietnam outlawed civilian ownership of guns in 2006, and the illegal manufacturing, trafficking or trade of weapons is punishable by prison terms ranging from one year to life.

Despite the risks, customs officers have busted various attempts to smuggle guns and bullets from the U.K., the U.S. and Turkey in recent years, as well as nearby countries such as Cambodia, South Korea and Thailand.

 
 
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