Vietnam seizes 4 kg synthetic drug shipment from Europe

By Pham Du October 9, 2021 | 02:00 am PT

The synthetic drug sent from Europe to Hanoi is inspected at a police station, October 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Thu Huong

Hanoi Customs Department confiscated a package transported by air from Europe to Vietnam bearing four kilos of synthetic drugs.

The department said Friday it had found the drugs after inspecting a derelict shipment arriving at Noi Bai International Airport.

The inspection is part of an investigation of a special case launched in June by Hanoi Customs in coordination with Hanoi Police, the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, and the Anti-Smuggling Department under Vietnam Customs.

The operation came at a time when they had discovered many rings taking advantage of the complicated Covid-19 situation to transport drugs from Europe to Vietnam via the express delivery service.

Since mid-June, the task force has discovered four packages of drugs, including three from France and one from Belgium, sent to Hanoi.

On June 29, they arrested the first two suspects and collected more than seven kilos of synthetic drugs.

From the beginning of the year, the Hanoi Customs Department has detected 22 cases of drug smuggling via air, seized nearly 155 kilos of synthetic drugs, more than four kilos of marijuana, one kilo of ketamine, while detaining 21 suspects.