Nearly 100 kg of crystal meth smuggled from Europe to Vietnam

Hanoi police have arrested three individuals involved in smuggling 97.5 kg of crystal meth disguised as wine, which was transported by air from Europe to Vietnam. The suspects, Truong Huu Tuan, Tran Ngoc Anh, both 29, and Nguyen Van Tuan, 26, were detained on charges of illegal drug transportation.

The investigation began in mid-July when authorities detected a suspicious shipment sent to Vietnam, suspected to be linked to a large drug trafficking operation. The shipment, consisting of nine boxes, was traced to a recipient in Hai Phong. Police monitored the case and apprehended Truong Huu Tuan on July 19 while he was transferring the boxes in Hanoi’s Ha Dong District. The boxes contained vacuum-packed crystal meth hidden in wine bags.

Tuan admitted that he had been paid VND7 million (around US$290) to collect the goods, with his travel and stay arranged by an unknown person. Further investigations led to the arrest of Anh and Nguyen Van Tuan. Anh had been paid VND5 million (about US$207) by a man he met online to deliver a phone to a courier company in Hanoi.

The police are continuing their investigation, as Vietnam enforces strict drug laws, including the death penalty for smuggling large quantities of narcotics.