Drugs from Europe smuggled through international shipping companies

Major General Nguyễn Văn Viện, Director of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department, at the meeting with media on Thursday morning. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Criminal gangs are using international shipping companies to smuggle drugs from Europe into Việt Nam.

Major General Nguyễn Văn Viện of the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security said smugglers are using air and sea routes to bring in their contraband.

In some instances, brazen crooks are even simply sending drugs into the country using the postal service.

Recently, there has been a rise in criminals organising the transportation of synthetic drugs by air from Germany and the Netherlands to Việt Nam through unsuspecting international shipping companies.

Enforcement officers are looking closely at seaports in HCM City, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province in the south, Hải Phòng City in the north.

Major General Viện said his team will work closely with both border patrols and customs officers to crackdown on the illegal trade in the future.

Often, according to the Major General, Việt Nam is used as a transit shipping point, and after drugs arrived here from Europe, they are then moved to other, neighbouring countries.

Recently, police working with authorities in Đà Nẵng City and Quảng Bình Province, tracked drugs being sent her from Germany.

It is understand the gang was made up Vietnamese nationals living in Europe arranging the transportation.

Their trick was to take advantage of cargo transportation activities from logistics enterprises to transport drugs by air or post into Việt Nam.

The drugs were in common goods such as confectionery, cosmetics, gifts, and then packed them into parcels with the recipient’s name, address and “virtual” phone number, making it difficult for forces to trace where the drugs were going.

From May 13 to May 30, 2022, police arrested 11 people connected to the German ring and seized more than 50 kg of synthetic drugs. VNS