Vietnamese flight attendants caught smuggling $225,000 of cannabis oil to South Korea

The female attendants are suspected of bringing in a total of 300 million won (US$225,000) worth of liquid marijuana hidden in 50 cosmetics containers from Vietnam to Incheon International Airport in April, South Korean media said.

According to donga, the two attendants are in their 20s and now facing charges of violating South Korea’s Narcotics Control Act.

MBC News said during the police investigation, the attendants denied the charges, saying they did not know that they were carrying drugs and only delivered them after receiving an order from an acquaintance to bring cosmetics to South Korea.

They told South Korean police that it is was usual practice for flight attendants to carry goods in their hand luggage for delivery, and the money they normally received for running errands was about 68,000 won per order.

Police said two more flight attendants are suspected of transporting drugs, and have not boarded a flight to Korea since their colleagues were arrested.

They announced that they would continue to track the two crew members and expand the investigation to determine whether they also participated in the case.

A representative of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said Thursday that it has yet to receive any announcement related to the case from either Vietnamese or South Korean police.

The authority has ordered all airlines to verify the incident.

"Anyone who violates the law will be strictly handled and there will be no cover-up," the representative said.

By Thursday afternoon, both Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air had confirmed no involvement in the case while Vietnam Airlines said it was awaiting further verification.

In March, four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants were caught transporting 11.4 kg of ketamine and cocaine from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City.

A week later, they were allowed to leave detention after other suspects were arrested in the case.

Investigators reported that initial inquiries determined that the attendants did not know that 157 out of the 327 toothpaste tubes they carried into Vietnam contained drugs.