Vietnam Airlines flight attendants investigated for allegedly smuggling drugs from France

The four, including the cabin manager Nguyen Thanh Thuy, 37, were put under custody Friday morning shortly after flight VN10, which they served, touched down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Their arrest came after customs officials found drugs hidden inside toothpaste tubes that were found in their hand luggage.

Police identified the drugs as ecstasy and synthetic drugs. Altogether, the four had carried 10 kilograms of drugs from France to Vietnam.

Questioned by the police, the four attendants appeared to be shocked.

They said when in France, a person, whose identity has yet to be revealed by the police, asked them to carry some packages in their hand luggage. The person allegedly paid the four of them VND10 million (US$422).

As they were all "exhausted" after a long flight, they said they did not check the package carefully and did not notice any abnormal signs.

The flight attendants said the package got through customs in France without any problems and only when arriving in Vietnam did they learn what they had really carried.

HCMC police and officers from the Ministry of Public Security are now working together on the case with the collaboration of Vietnam Airlines.

In Vietnam, those who smuggle narcotics can be punished with at least two years in prison. Depending on the severity of the crime and quantity of drugs involved, those found guilty can even get life imprisonment or death.

Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5kg (5.5 lbs) of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.