Vietnam arrests 65 for drug smuggling in toothpaste tubes

Police person arrested 65 radical for smuggling 50kg of drugs - immoderate hidden successful toothpaste tubes - into Vietnam.

It follows past month's arrests of 4 Vietnam Airlines compartment unit recovered with the tubes successful carry-on bags aft a formation from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City.

They said they were hired to transport 60kg of toothpaste but didn't cognize it was ecstasy, ketamine and cocaine.

Vietnam is simply a large drug-trafficking hub contempt having immoderate of the harshest cause laws successful the world.

About fractional of the 327 toothpaste tubes the formation attendants were transporting contained drugs. Investigators said the women were unaware of their contents - they are presently retired connected bail.

Police said this week that the 65 suspects had been arrested aft they uncovered different six shipments of narcotics being smuggled into Vietnam via the aforesaid route.

It is alleged they were directed by the aforesaid smuggling ringing that hired the formation attendants.

The 65 suspects are being investigated for assorted charges, including buying, selling, transporting and storing narcotics, section media reported.

Police fishy the aforesaid syndicate often uses Vietnamese nationals studying and surviving successful France to bring drugs into the country.

Once the drugs get astatine Vietnamese airports, home transportation services transport them to an accomplice successful Dong Nai state bordering Saigon.

The drugs are past transported to aggregate localities for distribution.

Authorities accidental the magnitude of drugs seized via aerial routes into the state implicit the past 3 months has surpassed the magnitude of airborne drugs trafficked successful the past 5 years combined.

Ho Chi Minh City is simply a peculiarly charismatic transit constituent for smugglers due to the fact that of its proximity to neighbouring Cambodia.

Those convicted successful Vietnam of possessing oregon smuggling much than 600g of heroin oregon much than 2.5kg of methamphetamine look the decease penalty. Production oregon merchantability of amerciable narcotics supra definite quantities is besides punishable by death.